There Ought to Be Someone There ought to be someone Who knows. Preferably near But they could also be far. Tall or short, doesn’t matter, And doesn’t matter what age So long as they’re young in spirit. They ought to know things people Used to know. Forgotten ways To build a house and keep a garden, Poets no one reads, Recipes They’d cook for you If you could find where they live. They ought to care about language, Where words come from And what they mean. They ought to own A thesaurus and a dictionary. They ought to be able to tell you What the weather will be like Without consulting anything But the direction of the wind And the behavior of birds. They ought to feed birds And cats alike. They ought to respect life, To let spiders weave Their dreamcatchers in the corners, Mice patter in their walls. They ought to be able to sing In taverns without fear. They ought not go to taverns. They ought to take their shoes Off at the door, and choose Whether to vote or pay taxes. They ought to be the first to go To sleep and the first wake. They ought to know Where they want to be Buried when they die. There ought to be someone Like this still around. They ought to be found.