Optimist

Tomorrow will be a good day,
and the day after tomorrow
will be even better.

Next Wednesday also looks promising
and the first of the month
looms on the horizon like a ship of gold.

I think next year will be the best year of my life
and that each following year will surely
outdo the one before.

From where I’m sitting today,
a decade from now looks like
nirvana

and eternity—
I can see it—
is overflowing with fountains of light.

Richard Jones’ most recent book of poems is Avalon (Green Linden Press, 2020). His many poetry collections include Stranger on Earth and The Blessing, both from Copper Canyon Press. Editor since 1980 of the literary journal Poetry East, he curates its many anthologies, such as Paris, The Last Believer in Words, and Bliss. In the autumn of 2020 he will publish Poetry East’s 100th issue. www.RichardJonesPoetry.com www.PoetryEast.org www.CopperCanyonPress.org