Yes by William Stafford
Yes
by William Stafford
It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out – no guarantees
in this life.
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.
This is one of the great “yes” poems, like e.e. cummings’ work, and the way he wrote left him open to what arose in a give day. William Stafford (1914–1993) in addition to just being a gorgeous poet, was a conscientious objector during World War II, served four years in alternative civilian service, taught at Lewis & Clark College for decades, and wrote a poem every morning of his adult life as a sustained discipline — over 22,000 poems across fifty years. I love this poem about saying “yes” anyway, to stay awake, right now.
