Projects

We always begin by making a list

of unrealistic goals.

Not that they appear unrealistic at that point.

No.

We make the list in ink--

pencil is too pessimistic--

and we look forward to crossing completed

tasks off

with bold, straight lines.

That is spring.

We project success before the end

of summer.

But fall arrives

and rolls along

and the list becomes a heckling spectator.

Jobs weren’t done in the priority order

we assigned them;

some are half-done, others

never started.

We vow this is the last time,

next year we won’t count chickens,

we’ll take a trip, let the roof cave in.