16 November 2009 | Vol. 9, No. 3
An Answer
Give me an answer
full of elegance
and grace.
It doesn't have to be
in a porcelain dish.
Perhaps in an oyster shell
that has ocean scents
or in a tin can
my grandfather had
long ago smoking
a pipe.
Or let the answer be
that sweet scent of smoke
when in his special chair
he puffed then let out hummingbirds.
That i remember becomes complete
complete forgiveness
now gentle rain on
my tin roof.
About the author:
Carolina Vargas, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Colombia, was born in Bogotá. Sharing two cultures and languages, she writes, thinks, dreams, and talks in both. She graduated from Agnes Scott College, then studied and traveled for two years in Spain and France. She received an MFA in poetry from Arizona State University. At present she lives in Columbus, Ohio, gardening, writing, painting, and volunteering at the hospital.
For further reading:
See the complete list of work by Carolina Vargas at 42opus. Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 9, No. 3, where "An Answer" ran on November 16, 2009. List other work with these same labels: poetry.
