things you have to do today

THE WORD

by  Tony Hoagland

Down near the bottom 
of the crossed-out list
of things you have to do today,

between “green thread”
and “broccoli,” you find
that you have penciled “sunlight.”

Resting on the page, the word
is beautiful. It touches you
as if you had a friend

and sunlight were a present
he had sent from some place distant
as this morning ─ to cheer you up,

and to remind you that,
among your duties, pleasure 
is a thing

that also need accomplishing.
Do you remember?
that time and light are kinds

of love, and love
is no less practical
than a coffee grinder

or a safe spare tire?
Tomorrow you may be utterly
without a clue,

but today you get a telegram,
from the heart in exile,
proclaiming that the kingdom

still exists,
the king and queen alive,
still speaking to their children,

─ to any one among them
who can find the time
to sit out in the sun and listen.

Let's pencil things onto our Monday to-do lists, things like "sunlight." 

Let's make a list that looks something like this:

- sunlight

- tea and cookies

- flowers

- stare out the window

- write in diary

- copy out a favourite poem

Why not?