Ignore the Banal at Your Peril

Daily life seems not to change
The way it goes on changing—
Occasional joys, routines,

Occasional rude shocks, but
Never any miracles.
The highly improbable

Remains inevitable
In large numbers, and the world
Is nothing other than large

In numbers, so you can count
On most of most unlikely events
Happening, just not to you.

This is good and this bad,
As daily news reminds you.
You get up, live, go to bed.

Somewhere, something terrible
And rare happens to someone,
Somewhere, incredible luck.

This is good and this bad,
As daily news reminds you.
You get up, live, go to bed,

You think of what you should do
To keep your small world going,
Do the larger world some good.

Do some good but do some bad.
The daily news ignores you.
You get up, live, go to bed.

At some point you realize
You’re nearing some kind of end,
Past which you won’t realize

Anything ever again,
But in the meantime changes
Get on with the days, changing.