"Oh No" by Robert Creeley.

Oh No

If you wander far enough
you will come to it
and when you get there
they will give you a place to sit

for yourself only, in a nice chair,
and all your friends will be there
with smiles on their faces
and they will likewise all have places.
                                 
                                  -by Robert Creeley

My initial reaction is of heaven. When you get there you will be highlighted and greeted by everyone you love and you will be happy. They will all have their own chairs and will be greeted by their loved ones just the same. Knowing that Mrs. White gave us this poem I knew there must be darker undertones. ;) So I went a digging.

I thought of Hamlet and the scene where he is in the graveyard talking amongst the diggers and skulls about how everyone, rich or poor, will end up the same. While in the dirt is a lot different than in a special chair surrounded by loved ones, I believe the same message is being sent.

I also thought about a retirement home. Once someone gets far enough in life they will find it. With nothing else for the aging people to do, they sit them in a chair and surround them with smiling loved ones, all knowing what is going to happen to thee person and how their turn will be soon enough.

I do believe that darker undertones can be found but I also get the sense of peace. A statistic I came upon says that the older generations are the happiest. The don't have as much stress, worry, or pressure. So I do believe that their is supposed to be a sense of comfort.