Life Come Upon Suddenly
Selected Poems (1955 – 2005)
by
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LIFE, COME UPON SUDDENLY
Come upon suddenly in sun-dappled places,
life goes freeze-frame,
mirroring wonder for wonder
in eyes deep and moist as wells.
Poised on the edge of flight
it checks the surface of the world.
Sensing immobility, it walks off indifferently
intent on secret transactions of its own.
Come upon at dawn amidst galleries of trees,
life dances to the tidal rhythm
of beget, begin, be and been.
Survival plots unfold while tigers sleep,
their impartial teeth at ease.
New-fused gametes rush to ripen
before slitted eyes open
and carnivorous dreams become real.
Come upon when bloom wilts to dry decline,
life provokes dark pauses.
Does anything come to pass but the passing?
Is there cause for joy in this bracketed respite from death?
Surely, amoebas only dream, selflessly, of progeny.
Why do we, who come late into the business,
spawn questions that life cannot answer?
After all, life can tell us only about living;
the mysteries of death must be imagined.
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About the Book
The poems in this book came out of five decades of a life that has been, you might say, varied, ranging from almost an electrical engineer, to teacher of philosophy, to executive of a number of medical communications companies, with side trips as rabbit, goat, and pig farmer, builder of barns and renovator of old houses. Along the way, there were marriages to three unique women, each of whom opened doors into unexpected dimensions of life. There has been the joy of children grown into self-defined individuals, even though two had to cope with physical handicaps, and one had to beat cancer at its own game.
About the Author
Having almost retired, Victor Runowicz resides in central