Cautiously Optimistic
—a poem by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

I approach with caution.
I rather be elsewhere.
I walk through the door
and up the elevator and
walk to the cubicle of death.

I am cautiously optimistic
that things will get better.
They are just getting worse.
The grass is greener across
the street because there is

not a patch of grass in here.
I approach with caution
when I cross the street and head
to the park to clear my thoughts.


_
Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal is a poet and long-time Literary Editor for The Commonline Journal. His poems in English and Spanish have appeared in many online and print journals. His first book of poetry, Raw Materials (2004) was published by Pygmy Forest Press.  His latest chapbook, Make the Light Mine (2016) was published by Kendra Steiner Editions. Luis was born in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, works in the mental health field and lives in Los Angeles CA.