A Wasp

the first thing you type
into your computer
once you are an orphan
should change the world for you

should speak of a shift
in consciousness toward
something more profound
more to a crystalline point

but there is nothing here
like that
except that it’s darker
than you expected

while there is light
somewhere underneath
that low shelf of clouds
behind you and before you

you doubt very much
that it will do anything at all
except cheapen you
remind you of your being alone

except you are not alone
are you — not alone except inside
like a wasp just before
the dying of the summer sun

and while this too will pass
you can’t help but feel
something has shifted
last wings buzzing slowly for now

stopping gradually at once as
your parents’ wings did and
all your folks’ wings did —
as you will

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
onward,
T