Friday, March 16, 2012

On Having a Poem




On Having a Poem
Having a poem is like having a child.
Although there is, indeed, less pain--
you don’t often know what you’re going to get.
It could be a temperamental child.
You hope to God it’s not a child gone wild.
Like a child, an infant poem
you can caress, perhaps even digress to
pamper and pull, some.
You can bandy it about.
You can comb its long hair.
You can dress it up
and you can take it everywhere.
Having a poem is like
diving into a waterfall--
you don’t know exactly where you will end up.
Having a poem is like
being lost at night.
“Blink-blink,” there is a light
somewhere off in the distance…
and you hope you can
catch up to it
and make it out.
Having a poem is like having a shiny, new penny.
You can finger it
and turn it ’round and ’round in your hand, some.
Then you can (hopefully) turn it over to a friend.
It’s like a token.
Slip it in the slot
and just get on the train!
It might be a fast track or a long, slow ride.
Having a poem
is like (and unlike) having a child…
When it becomes a toddler and it
wanders off, alone, on shaky legs,
don’t worry--
you can just let go of its hand.

6 comments:

  1. magiceye~so very glad to see you! Your butterfly photo was marvelous!

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  2. It is like giving birth, isn't it? And you never quite know exactly what (who) it will be until you spend some time with it.

    Love the photo, lg. Is that you? or your beautiful daughter?

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  3. Talon, thank you friend :-) It is my daughter who is now sweet 16. She was a beautiful baby and had gorgeous curly long brown hair as a wee girl with big brown eyes and a dazzling smile.
    lg

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  4. "you never quite know exactly what (who) it will be until you spend some time with it."
    Very nice, here, very true. :-)

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  5. A lovely child in the photo - I see that is your beautiful daughter.

    I am not a poet, but can imagine it must indeed be like that to write poems.

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Lois Nancy

This artwork is my mother's. It touches my heart.    (So gentle.)   A thoughtful depiction of something sweet, tiny, and cute.   'Wa...