Welcome back to the Daily Poem, a podcast from Goldberry Studios.

I'm Sean Johnson, and today is Tuesday, June 11th, 2004.

Today's poem is by Jane Kenyon, and it's called Otherwise.

I'll read it once, say a few words about it, and then read it one more time.

Otherwise.

Okay. then read it one more time. Otherwise. I got out of bed on two strong legs. It might have been otherwise. I ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach. It might have been otherwise.

I took the dog uphill to the birch wood.

All morning I did the work I love. At noon I lay down with my mate. It might have been otherwise.

We ate dinner together at a table with silver candlesticks. It might have been otherwise.

I slept in a bed in a room with paintings on the walls

and planned another day just like this day.

But one day I know it will be otherwise.

We have featured a number of poems on the show that would fit into the category of Carpe Diem poem, Seize the Day poems.

And this is a remarkable,

kind of anti-carpe diem poem,

sort of, almost, mostly.

Jane Kenyon has a remarkable poet in her own right.

She is also the wife of Donald Hall, another notable poet.

And she died of leukemia, which I have to assume she knew already she had or was battling when she wrote this poem, which makes it a little more

poignant the final line or lines, but one day I know it will be otherwise. It has a little more

of a concrete expiration date attached to it.

So it's a little punchier.

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