Knots by Frank C. Modica

My impatient adolescent brain
thought Alexander the Great
got it right when he severed
the Gordian knot with one slash.
I spent many years trying
to emulate his example,
racing through life
as I attempted
fast, easy solutions.

I think about all
the wasted effort;
how I lost so much
with the quick cuts.
I hope I’ve gotten
wiser in my 8th decade
as I pick at the twists,
untangling strands
one at a time.



Frank C. Modica is a retired teacher. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Sheila-Na-Gig, Trouvaille Review, and Uplift Lit. Frank's first chapbook, What We Harvest, nominated for an Eric Hoffer book award, was published in 2021 by Kelsay Books.