WHAT HE NEEDED

He didn’t need much.
He didn’t need to know
the latest news,
or what the bestseller lists said.
He didn’t need a day
to be the finest one ever,
nor did he need night
to place a bedspread of stars
over him.
He didn’t need to notice
every single thing.
He didn’t even need happiness.

All he needed was
whatever was there,
a door closing,
the light of a computer screen,
a black pencil
that’s right where it should be,
the earth doing its circles
through space.