This Is For
John Martin
all the small butterflies, yellow and white,
that met my truck mid-flutter as I drove
the hundred miles to buy a piece of this earth
today, one not a lot bigger than a butterfly
when you really think about it. I guess
I put an end to whatever you were doing.
Understand, I had to wait nervously
for the notary, so she could witness us
(my lawful wife and I) scribbling our small
names on some paper, so I could then drive
all that to the place where they move things
overnight from here to there -
because getting things done right now
is important. Because so many other
things are waiting to happen in their turn.
Happen now. Now, as you beat your wings
and search for that mate or meal or leaf
to live on. I’m sure it was important
to you. Don’t for one minute think that I
don’t appreciate that. I do. But, so many
arrangements had been made, so much
depended on me getting those papers where
they belonged with all the right signatures. I
know you understand. How crazy, huh?
~~~~~
John Martin's first full length poetry collection, Hold This, was published by Concrete Wolf Press in 2017. He is also the author of the chapbook The Nick Of Time (Iota Press, 2006). He lives and works in Summer Lake, Oregon.