Trout Swimming Upstream for Nickels and Dimes

The world outside my window
moves like someone hit fast-forward
and broke off the pause button.

We race for our seats

on musical chair mornings,
jump in the ring with clocks.

But today my soul pinched me,

woke me up with a beautiful, simple idea,
and I'm here to share.

My friends,

one word
foraged
into a sword—

"Enough!"

Like drought in a rose garden,

like sour on a sweet kiss:

We tolerate too much,

we tunnel drive through life;
each of us holding an entire world on our shoulders.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can spread our arms, ride the wind, enjoy life.

Remind ourselves that money is not air,
that computers will never hug us.

So write a list of things you love,

things that make life good for you.
And tape it to your forehead if you must.

For a daily pinch is a daily reminder

that you're not a fish
swimming upstream for peanuts.


From the book Kairos (print version only). Also won the Wilda Morris's Poetry Challenge in December of 2009.