Off Subject, Possibly Enjoyable

[Peter Petto]

I have a tendency to punctuate my reading of longer books with occasional
short poems. For the past couple days while approaching the end of Mason &
Dixon, I've been reading William Stafford's zennish verse.

The following poem seemed to me to be one that might appeal to others
here,-- assuming it's nearly the same poem here as it is in the book where
I found it.



 Knowing Where You Are

   One time a clock said midnight,
   or else it said noon--we were in a cave
   and couldn't be sure. And it was on an island--
   at least, I think it was.

   Is there any way in a cave like that
   to know if it is midnight?
   It's the same old number, no matter
   what you say, so what difference does it make?

   And if an island moves is it the same
   island but in a new place?
   If I moved away I wouldn't change
   more than I had to.

   So if anyone asks, I always
   just say, "Noon."

                                 - William Stafford