We Sit and Wonder

by Barbara McVay

What did that bird look like sitting on the branch?
I must have seen him many times in the past.
Are there leaves on that tree?
Oh, if only I could see.

What’s on the page of the book on my lap?
Things to make me cry or laugh?
How long has it lain there alone unattended
Now I can’t see it, I want to attempt it.

Why do we wait to appreciate what we have?
Why must we lose it to know that it’s gone?
Are memories of past experiences all we have left?
Can we adapt to what’s still possible?

Is knowing enough to sustain us and carry?
Can remembering be comforting to maintain happiness?
Is it really necessary to “see” something to appreciate it?
We sit here and wonder these things.