"Things I Learned Last Week" Poem

(with apologies to William Stafford)

Deer, within 20 minutes of being born,
take their first steps.

Sometimes, permanent marker can be erased
with a whiteboard pen.

A woman working in a factory makes a
shirt that will sell for $1000.
She won’t see that amount of money in
one year’s salary.

Henry the eighth beheaded his wives but
he did take pleasure in singing and music.

Christopher McCandless sought solitude.
His last words were, “happiness is only real when shared”.

If I ever die, I’d like it to be
in the forest. That way, I’ll have
the silence to go with me, and no one
to interrupt the tranquility.

In Montana, one person’s job is
to protect wild animals during the breeding season,
so that when they grow healthy,
they may be hunted for game.