Sign
July 7, 2008

You can take it as a sign
if you will.

I think you’d take it as a sign if the sun
rose on Tuesday,
the rain fell in Rio,
the sky grew dark at dusk,
or the ibis’ call sounded
particularly morose.

You’d draw in your bone-dry fleece,
and decide you misunderstood your question.

You hear the still small voice
promising war amidst the howling
newsboys announcing armistice,
the bluebird whispering happiness over the sirens.

In the comets and lightning,
you see a sign to cast in your lot
with Julius.