David Sermersheim
HOMUNCULUS
you thought it would stay in one place
adopt a contented pose
lounge languidly by the fire without complaint
nor ask for more than could be given
little did you know this thing
had a mind of its own
and was after all
you call your own
soon you were working for it
meeting its capricious demands
with no compensatory gratuities
stated or implied
— an ad hoc arrangement
made on its terms
not yours —
other possibilities were pursued
to no advantage
most were closed to further inquiry
the homunculus clung to the web it wove
spun round a routine that met his demands
along with a free lunch that was not discussed
now you’re out the door
on the street
looking back at a brightly-lit room
where visions of poignant scenes
fade into misty shadows
Bio: David Sermersheim taught at The Hotchkiss School (Ct.) for 33 years. His poems have been published in The Aurorean, Ancient Paths, Sacred Journeys, Iodine Review, Poetry Pacific, Miller’s Pond and other journals and quarterlies. He was a MacDowell Fellow and has a book, Meditations, listed on Amazon. He lives in Westbrook, Connecticut.
Wild Goose Poetry Review 