Today as I was leaving for work
with my backpack slung into the crook of my arm
and a plain, unbuttered bagel
jammed halfway into my mouth
I thought about the world
in its entirety
For one split second I could see the earth
tilted and rolling in the cosmos like a basketball
circling some invisible rim
with God and the angels sitting courtside
straining, anticipating
(each privately reminding himself
not to spill beer and hot mustard
all over his heavenly robes
during the excitement which will surely erupt)
the moment the ball drops
They will all leap to their feet
and clap each other on the back
and say what a game it was –
close, right down to the buzzer
They’ll elbow each other in the ribs
and say What a finish! Now that’s glory for you, hey!
We must have waited an eternity
while it circled the hoop
like it was making up its mind about
which way to fall
Then in my car, with my backpack and bagel
I stepped on the clutch and key the ignition
shift Reverse, then First
away from those strange thoughts
and into the morning commute