Otherwise
by Jane Kenyon
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birchwood.
All morning I did
the work I love.
At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.
Copyright ©2005 The estate of Jane Kenyon, reprinted from Collected Poems with the
permission of Graywolf Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Help support explorefaith.org. Purchase a copy of Collected Poems by following this link to amazon.com.
