The great storms
are behind you now.
Back then, you didn’t ask
why you were born, where
you came from, or where you were going–
you were part of the storm,
the fire.
But you can find a way to live
in everyday life as well,
in our ordinary grey days:
plant your potatoes, rake leaves,
clear away the brush.
There is so much to ponder in this world
that one life is not enough.
After you’re done with your tasks,
you can fry up some bacon
and read Chinese poetry.
Old Laërtes hacked back the brambles
and hoed the earth around his fig trees,
letting the heroes battle it out at Troy.