POEM
The Pieces That Fall To Earth
Kay RyanOne could
almost wish
they wouldn't;
they are so
far apart,
so random.
One cannot
wait, cannot
abandon waiting.
The three or
four occasions
of their landing
never fade.
Should there
be more, there
will never be
enough to make
a pattern
that can equal
the commanding
way they matter.
Kay Ryan, "The Pieces That Fall to Earth" from Say Uncle. Copyright © 2000 by Kay Ryan. Reprinted with the permission of Grove/Atlantic, Inc. All rights reserved. Caution: Users are warned that this work is protected under copyright laws and downloading is strictly prohibited. The right to reproduce or transfer the work via any medium must be secured with Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Source: Poetry (December 1999).
This poem originally appeared in the December 1999 issue of Poetry.
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Born in California in 1945, Kay Ryan is the author of several books of poetry, including . . . MORE »
