Susan Nevelow Mart, beloved director of the Wise Law Library at CU, is retiring. She will be missed.
The sun was bright upon us once.
We thought we could out-stare the moon,
but it’s still there, slo-o-owly winking.
Now the gold flourisher crops the tension
out our memories, outcomes established —
first glances, first kisses, first ecstasies;
warm invitations to the feast of life:
steak au poivre, marcona almonds,
the taste of cherry, toasted sesame oil,
a dewy vineyard at dawn, petting zoo child-smiles,
first stereo, first album, dancing
alone, or not, clad, or not,
bon voyage kisses (“I’ll miss you”)
with a parenthetical hug.
There was a time when gravity was kinder.
If we floated around procrastinating,
at least we had something to do.
Now the sun has our back.
It does a backbend
and memorializes our memories as
we live them, as we walk in the freedom
of an uncreative jubilance, unforced and awarely,
connoisseurs of the condition
to be.
Steve Elder is in charge of Tea Service at the University of Colorado Law Library.
