David Ignatow

Here you will find the Poem Dilemma of poet David Ignatow

Dilemma

Whatever we do, whether we light 
strangers? cigarettes?it may turn out 
to be a detective wanting to know who is free 
with a light on a lonely street nights? 
or whether we turn away and get a knife 
planted between our shoulders for our discourtesy; 
whatever we do?whether we marry for love 
and wake up to find love is a task, 
or whether for convenience to find love 
must be won over, or we are desperate? 
whatever we do; save by dying, 
and there too we are caught, 
by being planted too close to our parents.