Inspired by “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams
So much depends upon
The worn black tires
Now gray with age
That roll over the road
Day after day.
So much depends upon
The cast iron skillet
That stayed on the stovetop
Through two world wars.
So much depends upon
The silver wristwatch
That hugs my arm
Instead of my father’s.
So much depends upon
The yellow flashlight
Slippery with sweat
A shield against the night.
So much depends upon
The shiny ornaments
That the children will see
Hung upon the magic tree.
So much depends upon
The rolls of toilet paper
Embossed with butterflies
Neatly wrapped in plastic.
So much depends upon
The white lab coats
Sterile and uniform
Like the robes of a priest.
So much depends upon
The clouds in the sky
That pass unnoticed
Until the land goes dry.
So much depends upon
The green blades of grass
That grow no taller
Than a golf ball.
So much depends upon
The flag of my nation
standing with pride
In the dust of the moon.
So much depends upon
The glowing translator
That stands between us
Aliens and aliens.