Every five years,
the Spirit Animal Society
mandates its members
rigorously interrogate
their own personal growth,
selecting a new spirit animal
if appropriate. My new one
is the Koala, not because it’s
cute & cuddly, which it is
& I’m not, but because it
sleeps 23 hours a day, both
inspiring me & relieving
my guilt about wasting time.
I slept 21 hours again,
no bedsores yet, my life coach,
short & stout, whispering
in my drowsy ear, don’t
worry, baby, I’ll wake you up
if you’re ever needed.
Jefferson Carter
I've lived in Tucson since 1953 and retired in 2008 from teaching writing at Pima Community College.
My poems have appeared in journals like [iCarolina Quarterly, Barrow Street, RATTLE, and [iNew Poets of the American West. Free Hugs, my 13th poetry collection, was just published by Coyote Arts (Albuquerque). To order or for more information about my poetry, visit
jeffersoncarterverse.com
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