We let the present moment slip
then look for it as if, forgetful,
we had placed it somewhere else.
Nor can we find the past
beneath the ever-present clutter
of the ever-present now.
Small wonder then, we cannot see
the future that we make, or trace its roots
from unknown past – to a present
which is so firmly lost.
Richard West” was Regents’ Professor of Classics in a large public university and has published numerous books and many articles, as well as poetry in more than thirty literary journals. He now lives in the Desert Southwest, where he enjoys outdoor activities, learning to cook, and attempting to add flavor to his poems.