Fishes and Loaves

Some mornings, when I'm just getting my eyes open, beginning to bring objects into focus, the computer decides to cooperate, and things go ... well ... reasonably well. I get something posted, and I'm off the hook for the rest of the day.

But there was one morning a few months ago that signaled it just was not going to be one of those good days.

I'll spare you the details. Bottom line: There was no way the computer was going to let me get online. Why? That's probably destined to remain a mystery.

Just one of those things, I guess.

So what did I do? Well, this time ... I skipped the hand-to-hand combat with the desktop despot. I just didn't feel like doing all-out battle with it.

Instead, I decided just to go with the flow. I still had a guilty conscience about giving in so easily, but I spared myself tons of frustration.

So there it was, mid-afternoon. I'd had my walk. I had a nice, quiet lunch with a lady I've known since the previous century, and I'd had a nap ... -- er, an interlude of concentrated meditation in one of my favorite chairs ... and the computer seemed to have come around, reluctantly, to my way of thinking.

And there we were, finally, with a poem.

As I explained, the "fishes and loaves" bit in the poem may be something of a stretch, but it got somebody's attention, right? They read it, liked it, published it.

Take away that part, though, and you still have the heart of what I'm trying to say: If what I have said, or what I may yet say, touches someone, helps them in some way, simply gives them a better outlook, improves their understanding of some issue, helps them to make it through the day ... then that's "miracle" enough for me.

And when a poem I've written resonates with someone in a particular way ... especially if they are moved to tell me about it ... then that's "miracle" enough for me, too.

This one was originally published in Explorer:

FISHES AND LOAVES

The fishes

of what I have said

and the loaves

of what I may yet

have to say

would never feed

the multitudes,

but, if one crust

of my writing

has benefitted

just one person,

that's miracle

enough for me.

© 1996

***

Today's word: miracle

Afterthoughts ... in response to your comments:

Thank you, Helen, for those kind words. I'm glad you find the poems still hold their flavor on a second sipping. That's as much a tribute to the reader as to the writer ... as I keep saying, and I really believe this ... so much depends on what the reader brings to the poem.

And thank you, Southernmush, for paying another visit and leaving those very generous comments here. Continued best wishes ... oh, and have you taken a look at the "new" Squiggles and Giggles? There's a link in the column to the left ... I'm trying posting S&G online so it won't be cluttering up everybody's e-mail boxes. Let me know, please, if you have any problems reaching it.