The poetic city: “A Matter of Choice 4/5/17”

As the holiday treat trays make more of an appearance in life, poet Reece Burka questions the idea of choice in his latest poem (Photo by: Tim Lewis)

A Matter of Choice 4/15/17

Sitting in the customer lounge

of the dealership out on Veterans

waiting for my car to be repaired…

My laptop shares a table

with a platter of treats –

different kinds of small pastries

set out for the pleasure of

my fellow patrons

As they come and go from

the tray of goodies, some feel

compelled to make a remark

in light of the choices

they are making.

One congratulates me for

my forbearance; another explains

why it’s ok for her to partake;

a third asks my opinion about

which to choose.

I am amused, but not unsympathetic.

Such choices of no moment

make up so much of life…

But their need to comment

as they go about their choosing

leaves me to ponder

the meaning of choice, free will,

and wonder how truly free it is…

Unable to arrive at a satisfying conclusion,

I end up grateful that I did not feel

compelled to indulge today…

tomorrow might be a different story.

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