American Standard
By: Claude Clayton Smith
—after Gabriel Mouton
If standard measurements would just apply,
I’d know the distance left between your will
and mine. But inches —meters?—light years cry
“Hold on!” when farther does not further. Still,
the science is yet young. Who is to say
a probe thrust deep within your brain won’t yield
an angstrom or a zettabyte one day,
a unit of knowledge to cleave your very shield
of independence. Your stubborn alchemy
defies the lab. Your willingness to meet
“and talk” confounds my precious liberty
as much as yours. So let us be discreet:
Six months in San Diego—six New York.
Champagne at New Year’s. Will that plan work?
Professor of English, Emeritus, Ohio Northern University, Claude Clayton Smith is the author of eight books and co-editor/translator or four. His own books have been translated into five languages, including Russian and Chinese. His advanced degrees include an MFA from the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa. For details on his publications and teaching career, visit his website.Website