Drone

By Alicia Susan Ostriker

Get a move on
it says
every year,

day, hour, minute
keep going, keep up
the good work, go on with

your task, it
never stops reminding me
how badly I am doing it

I have to straighten out
my love life first
get that on an even keel

I say, but it says
don’t fool yourself
love lives never get straightened out

they are by nature crooked
get back to work
you don’t have forever

Live to you now from the hypothalamus
here it comes again
old drone

at the base of my skull
says listen to me woman
you are nothing

but dust
and the wounded world
is still in your hands

In the bedroom
soft skin and old regret
continue their melodious duet
the stew in the oven
is singing its please eat me song
the television is painting its face with human blood

the drone repeats
get on with it
gather grief like straw
spin it into something like gold.