I read the cards we drew,
Which fate predicted so fey,
Altering the goal and view,
To say one should seize the day.
There is chance in the deal,
No telling what will be in the hand,
Fate may (or not) have appeal,
At worse we make a crash-land.
Carpe diem says pluck the ripe fruit
Chance and luck might have a say.
For certain answers are often moot,
Take the part you are to play.
Within resides the mind’s free soul,
Move ahead, you’ve paid the toll.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Francis Conlon