"Where does inspiration lie?"
I asked an old man passing by
Who turned to me and cracked a smile
One autumn afternoon.

"Every man must find his own,"
He said, as if this fact was known.
"Look to the stars or to the sea
Or to the autumn moon."

"I cannot go to find the sea,"
I said and stood there sullenly.
"The sky is overcast tonight.
Whatever should I do?"

"When the sky is overcast at night,
Concealing what we know is bright,
At times like these look not outside--
It's found inside of you."

Copyright © 1997 by Randal A. Burd, Jr.

Publications: Scarborough, ME: The Candlelight Poetry Journal, Summer 1998

Author's Note: Poems viewed here are the latest versions and are not necessarily word-for-word as published.