Member-only story
the limp sage green plant
dangles
from the strong blue arm’s
mettle
my long windblown hair
dangles
behind the red chair’s
support
two brooms talking
by the white door
waiting for what comes
What does that plant think
in its thirst on a hot day
roots patient and ready
for releaf, in each leaf
and what do the brooms care
if they spend all afternoon
leaning against the wall
by the door
watching the leaves gather
one by one on the patio
And now for context! . . . . . I’ve been working my way through Mary Oliver’s Poetry Handbook, in an effort to make myself work at all. Most of what I’ve written that I *have* published is on my website, although I am very much behind in what I would like to share! For weeks I’ve been singularly focused on metered verse, but lately my brain decided that was enough, so I moved on to the “Verse that is Free” portion of the handbook.
On page 74, Mary Oliver, having just shared the famous poem The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams, offered his quote “no ideas but in things.” All this I was digesting at a local cafe with tea and cookies on a writing date with my daughter; I looked around and wrote the above, snapping phone pics because of course I had to do that too.
Thank you for reading!
