|| 2 Poems by Ananda Osel ||

Ananda Osel is a poet and essayist from Seattle, Washington. He is the editor of CommonLine.

 

a waste, a very sad waste

i am never shocked
at people’s reactions
when they find out
i write poetry

they’re always very enthusiastic
about the whole business

i try to keep my vain pursuit
as hush as possible
because i am not proud

with all the time
i’ve spent
writing poems
and sending them
to magazines
i could have become
something real
something better
something something

i could have been re-building homes
in Kenya
in India
in New Orleans
and in my own neighborhood

i could have taught a child to read
or write
or fight against oppression

eradicating homelessness
racism, sexism
or the unjust treatment of the poor
would have been worthy ways
to spend my time

i could have spent my time
finding solutions
to the horrors that face
my fellow human

i could have done this
and that
traveled here
and there
and less
and more
and somthing else

i could have
but i didn’t

and that’s
the tragedy
of
all
this.

>>>>>>> Read More Poetry by Ananda Osel at CommonLine >>>>>>>