I am remembering an audio tape
of Michael Ondaatje reading
poetry, his voice beautiful
and smooth and four days
ago we learned my sister
has cancer that should be
operable but you don't know
how things will play out
before they do
this afternoon the sun comes
out like a poker chip now
and then, it is chance that
often takes us makes winners
and losers or poets of us
I gave my sister Lily of the Valley
bubblebath for her birthday
and now I am sitting at a desk
with a lamp to my right, perhaps
it should be to the left