My hazard wouldn’t be yours, not ever;
But every doom, like a hazelnut, comes down
To its own worm. So I am rocking here
Like any granny with her apron over her head
Saying, lordy me. It’s my trouble.
There’s nothing to be learned this way.
If I heard a girl crying help
I would go to save her;
But you hardly ever hear those words.
Dear children,
You must try to say
Something when you are in need.
Don’t confuse hunger with greed;
And don’t wait until you are dead.
Stone, Ruth. What Love Comes to: New & Selected Poems. United States, Copper Canyon Press, 2010.