Poem for Tuesday

[Joan Winokur]

                                     The Quest 

Everyday objects 

know their purpose—

why they’re here.

No need to tell a pencil

what to do or why.

We wander around

like question marks,

bent out of shape,

seeking guidance

at every church, synagogue,

mosque, university and mountain top.

We hope our hook

will catch that elusive fish

who will spew out an ancient secret

solving the riddle of existence

when, in fact, we had the answer

at age ten— when Dorothy clicked

her way home to Kansas.

Joan Heller Winokur