April 11th poems
The prompt for today is to describe something–only one thing–that is either very interesting to you or something you think is often overlooked and taken for granted. I’m thinking inanimate objects here, but I’m not going to restrict you to that. (Btw, I’m totally wondering what object Kateri Woody is going to describe–yes, I’ve been paying attention to all those Joker-slanted poems.)
A Simple Tool
It’s a simple tool,
old. Neither good nor bad.
Like many tools, unfairly judged
by how it’s used.
But that is too deep for me.
I like pencils.
They have changed very little
in hundreds of years.
Oh, yes, now they come in colors.
And those mechanical ones with the
too-thin leads that I always break.
No, give me a sturdy number 2.
And a blank sheet of paper.
It is the scrape across that surface,
just the right amount of resistance
that I love.
And that allows me to create
whole new worlds.
–Candace
Stove
There was a time
not so long ago
when women pined for a stove.
Sears and Roebuck dreaming
for something reliable
dependable
able to tame fire.
Self-contained and labor-saving
answer to hunger and happiness.
Warm companion through long days
and lifetimes.
Somehow we’ve forgotten
the stove.
Often neglected,
rejected for faster methods.
As I wait for my tea kettle to boil
seeking comfort on a January day
I wonder if we’ve lost the connection.
–Amy
(Thing)
GRANDMA’S PAPERWEIGHT
It is about the size of a billiard ball.
It is hard,
Made of clear crystal.
The surface is faceted into twenty triangles.
The dictionary calls it a polyhedron.
It is very, very old.
Every edge and point is chipped,
Every surface scratched.
It has been discovered, fondled, rolled, tossed,
thrown, kicked, and dropped by
three generations of small children.
It has a wonderful weight.
Roll it in your hand. It does not hurt.
Look at it.
See shapes and shadows,
highlights and reflections that
Play and dance.
Look through it and
April 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pmsee the world differently.
Look around it,
And when the light is very, very right,
You can see
Beautiful rainbows.