ONE MUST Poem by Gerrit Kouwenaar

One still has to count one's summers, pass
one's sentence, snow one's winter

one still has to get the shopping done before
dark asks the way, black candles for the cellar

one still has to give the sons a pep talk, measure the daughters
for their suits of armor, teach ice water to boil

one still has to show the photographer the pool of blood
get unused to one's house, change one's typewriter ribbon

one still has to dig a pit for a butterfly
trade the moment for one's father's watch -