Gail White
Beatitudes
Blessed are those who take what they can get.
Who marry someone who is not the greatest
beauty or athlete that they’ve ever met.
Blessed are those who do not have the latest
technology at command. Who do not speak
three languages. Who cry when something hurts.
Blessed are those whose drive to win is weak,
stock market failures, poets, introverts.
Blessed are those who choose to live alone
with dogs or cats rather than make a speech,
who never go exploring on their own
or try for anything beyond their reach.
Blessed, who know they’re bound to fail the test
and settle down, settling for second best.
Who marry someone who is not the greatest
beauty or athlete that they’ve ever met.
Blessed are those who do not have the latest
technology at command. Who do not speak
three languages. Who cry when something hurts.
Blessed are those whose drive to win is weak,
stock market failures, poets, introverts.
Blessed are those who choose to live alone
with dogs or cats rather than make a speech,
who never go exploring on their own
or try for anything beyond their reach.
Blessed, who know they’re bound to fail the test
and settle down, settling for second best.
Gail White is a contributing editor of Light Poetry Magazine and a frequent contributor to formalist poetry journals and anthologies. She is a 2-time winner of the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Prize. Her most recent books, Asperity Street and Catechism, may be found on Amazon. She lives in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana with her husband and cats.
