A Friend From Utah Poem by RIC BASTASA

she finally finds her way in Utah
watching the sunset there on a desert

she sent me a letter telling me that she never saw such a beautiful sunset
as that
in Utah but i was not really amazed with what she thinks she saw as beauty
because i still believe
that beauty still lies to the beholden
(i know you may think i am wrong, you think of the
beholder

a cliche of the almost forgotten)

but that is not really the point
that is,
a dog must know the hands of the person who feeds it
and wag its tail
to manifest gratitude and
admiration

what amazes me still is the last poem she sent me while i also watch
the most beautiful sunset at the Dipolog Boulevard

she says she has nothing to prove to herself
she burns everything
she is finally quitting and whatever that means i refuse to make any
conclusion

i still love it here because it is home and i too agree, i have nothing to prove
to myself
or anybody else, alien or otherwise