He had always known he could change
the world.
So, like a lizard sopping
up the sun with one eye open, he waited.
He figured everyone got one chance
to do nearly anything.
One morning in his living room,
symbols like his old toy train
adorning the mantle, aligned
with his piece of Indian pottery
and the skull on his bookshelf
signaling the time had arrived.
He recalled poetry from the old
monk who had tutored him
across the span of three centuries,
that to move the earth, it must be done
quietly and a butterfly wing
at a time.
He went deep inside and outside
at once, reaching through dream and daydream
into prayer and nuance,
asking for nothing more than move
the planet in a way
to bless every creature
with a little more energy,
maybe resulting in a bit more love.
He knew better than tell anyone, but
there were others who even books said
altered the spill and spell of history.
He could, too.
Gaar Scott
is a poet and an artist who resides in Indianapolis. His published works include A Blue Beyond
Reach (The Muse Rules, 2004) and
in literary journals such as South
Carolina Review and Aethlon. His art pieces have been displayed in the
Indianapolis Museum of Art and shown at the Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community
Center and the Hilbert Circle Theatre, home of the Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra.