life on the left — a poem

life on the left

by jen holland

 

living left means

lower-case

shift-less-ness

no proper nouns

keyboards favor the right, and bill gates’ programs –

well, they make your i big

whether you want it or not.

 

i felt the power shift.

all’s right and

god’s in his heaven.

 

sheepishly

i asked that he glance left

now and then;

give us goats a chance.

 

l-l-lo and behold –

he did.

 

now i see life

from the mirror-side.

learning to write again

learning compassion

letting others help

i learn to lean,

slanting

like my child-like scrawl

 

i laugh. i see now.

it’s all gods have—

left.

 

dekalb, illinois

february 26, 2011

after an incident with a tuna can lid

on 23 february

which lefted the author