Things that Change

(For Larry)

Cool nights and mild sunny days make sweet grapes.

Sour dough yeast leavened the west, and as well, the great north.

Good shoes can shape the arches.

A small smile can change a big frown.

And we change—if we didn’t we’d be old crusty socks.

We’d be beef jerky whose double-dose of preservatives

make us taste like cow chips.

What is the measure of all this change?

Sears doesn’t sell a measuring cup

to pour our “daily did s” or “nightly do’s” into.

Yet we can open a bottle of wine

and know the sun it took in.

We can put bread in the oven

and see the fortitude of its yeast by loaf.

We can take our shoes off, massage our feet

and look at arches in a stroll.

We can smile and turn frowns around just for grins.

We can look around us and see

the character of heart of those we have been

through changes with

and in that

take measure.

© 12/16/2006

Dan Kantak