Yesterday was lethargic—
After 11 a.m., hair—not brushed
pajamas—still on.
Even the coffee—cold from inattention.

I warned—“you’ll lose yourself if you lollygag any longer.”
Looking towards me vacantly—
without direct eye contact—
it sighed and responded, “Yesterday is already lost.”

Yes, it washed dishes and folded laundry-the simple tasks,
but the bathroom was not cleaned, the floors remained unswept
and there is so much to do!

Eventually, Yesterday went for a walk but was shivering upon return.
   I asked, “Did you get lost again?
   What happened?
   You know all the streets in the neighborhood.”
The response was an indifferent shrug.

Yesterday pleasantly surprised me by making dinner.
The lentil soup was lovely. Tiny, cubed carrots added flavor and color—
    savory and simple.
   We shared toasted homemade bread—
    and that delicious black raspberry jelly from last summer’s garden.

After dinner I read it some poems aloud by Jane Hirshfield.
It read some by Maya Angelou to me.
Yesterday dog-eared a page which I went back to re-read—
Prayer
Yesterday is right. We should all be thankful and care for others.

As I reread the poem, Yesterday dozed off.
It shouldn’t have been sleepy, but it was.
I had hoped it would stay up with me, but that was not to be.

So, I played John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” on the stereo and shooed it to bed
Perhaps I expect too much from it—
Tomorrow may be a different Yesterday.

Thank you, Maya Angelou for "Prayer" and John Coltrane for "A Love Supreme"

Former spreadsheet jockey Stan Winarski of Germantown, WI, ditched the formulas for the freedom of writing more poetry in 2022. Poems sequestered for decades in his lower right-hand desk drawer now yearn for release, mirroring his liberation from the corporate world. When not reading or writing, Stan and wife, Mary Kay, enjoy their greater freedom camping and traveling; most recently returning from Turkey and Greece.