Five New Poems by Tom Montag

 

from

"The Old Monk Poems"

 

There are so many

tricks I can show you,

 

the old monk said,

I need a bigger stage.

from

"The Old Monk Poems"

 

If I should die

in the middle

of a sermon,

 

the old monk says,

that's the way

I want to go.

from

"The Old Monk Poems"

 

The laughter

in the wine,

the old monk says,

 

is all you

get to keep.

from

"The Old Monk Poems"

 

Patience,

the foolish student

told the old monk,

 

means you already

have what you want.

from

"The Old Monk Poems"

 

You might hear

what the stars say

 

or you might hear

nothing.

 

It depends on

the night,

 

the old monk said.

 

 

 

Tom Montag's books of poetry include: Middle Ground; The Big Book of Ben Zen; In This Place: Selected Poems 1982-2013; and Seventy at Seventy. He blogs at The Middlewesterner. With David Graham he recently co-edited Local News: Poetry About Small Towns.