For Marjorie Perloff
Reaching into the
drawer, I found an old
pocketknife, which
brought back
memories
of being a Boy Scout
foraging in the woods
for food, feeling
the chill of the
cold forest and the
pangs of hunger,
depending on
my trusty
pocketknife for
my very
survival.
I look at
the knife, with
its crimson handle
and cruciform emblem
and I realize
the secret:
“Be prepared.”