Bad Decisions

by Roberta Brown

Bad decisions follow for an entire life.

They never tire of walking,

and traverse any landscape,

no matter how tough the terrain.

Unlike people, you cannot give them

the slip, cannot stuff a few things

into a bag, and rush off in the dead

of night to escape them.

They always find an

unlisted phone number

or new address,

even ahead of the post office.

After being forgotten about awhile,

they reassert themselves.

Pushing a cart at the grocery store,

minding your own business, a song plays

taking you right back to one,

and the pain is so great,

that you are thankful for the cart

that keeps you from sliding to the floor.

Even if you isolate yourself

and meditate like a Zen monk

in a room of white walls and wood floors

with your back to the center

facing outward in the Soto style,

they rise from your cushion or clothes,

screaming so loudly that you wonder

if the others can hear them.

Good decisions follow too,

but so quietly you barely know they’re there.

Only occasionally do they look up

from the couch to yawn while filing their nails.

* * * * *

Roberta Brown ã2017 All rights reserved. No use without written permission of the author.

Roberta Brown is an Assistant Professor of English Composition at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico.