Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sunday Morning Poetry

What's in My Journal
Odd things, like a button drawer. Mean
Things, fishhooks, barbs in your hand.
But marbles too. A genius for being agreeable.
Junkyard crucifixes, voluptuous
discards. Space for knickknacks, and for
Alaska. Evidence to hang me, or to beatify.
Clues that lead nowhere, that never connected
anyway. Deliberate obfuscation, the kind
that takes genius. Chasms in character.
Loud omissions. Mornings that yawn above
a new grave. Pages you know exist
but you can't find them. Someone's terribly
inevitable life story, maybe mine.
~ William Stafford


When my friend Sarah read this poem, she sent me the perfect picture to accompany it. Thank you, Sarah.

21 comments:

Suz said...

OH I have to admit I don't remember this on..but it's a keeper
a button box
what an image...says it all
truly I tell my children when I die
If you want to know more about your mother look in the sewing box and my cookbooks
Great little big poem
what a poet he was...

Shaista said...

Wow I thought that poem was yours! I totally believed it was yours - maybe it is and that William Stafford just ran with it!
Lovely to come sit by your fire this sunday (it is freezing in england now!).

Ragamuffin Gal said...

Maybe mine as well ~ such visuals!
Where do you find these poems?? Honestly you amaze me!

ELK said...

this is fabulous!!

"Sunshine" said...

I am learning to read and appreciate poetry. Keep on teaching me!!!!!

Jaime said...

Now that would be an interesting journal to read....his and yours!!
Thank you for the sweet notes you left me Relyn. You are so dear to my heart.

I hope you are loving your Sunday evening.
xoxo

Rita said...

I have always admire the fact that you have kept a journal as long as I can remember. I wish I had kept one when I was younger and could go back and see what I thought then and what I think now. I mixed Bubba's button box in with mine. Her life played a big part in mine.

Jennifer Richardson said...

Whets my appetite
for my own journal
buried deep in my purse
along with a few dusty
milk duds
and some loose change.
Today is the day
to organize!
Thanks for this sweetness,
Jennifer

S. Etole said...

Yes, the hodgepodge of our lives ...

Sarah said...

I absolutely love this Relyn-and it's going in my journal! Glad you had a good Thanksgiving!

Erin Wallace said...

This is absolutely one of my favorites that you have posted! It's a wonderful poem.

Gill said...

i love this Relyn!
and the word 'obfuscate' has long been one of my faves
:)
xoxo

Marilyn Miller said...

Yes, life stories told in so many different ways - through a journal, in a book, passed down verbally. Life stories told, we learn and grow by.

Anonymous said...

i just recently started carrying around a journal. you have inspired me to write poetry in it. thank you! lots of hugs.

Jeannine said...

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing it here. :)

SE'LAH... said...

this is love! another beautiful edition of sunday morning poetry.

wishing you the best of days. one love.

Kirsten Steen said...

Love the lines, 'chasms in character' and 'mornings that yawn above a new grave'. I love words that don't usually go together and say so much in a new way!
You always have something I love! Hugs and gratitude!
Kirsten

Anonymous said...

i love your sunday poetry series. you always come up with such great choices.

Sarah said...

You're welcome!

Vaidya_Vaakya said...

Someone's terribly
inevitable life story, maybe mine.
Touching. :)

d smith kaich jones said...

love love LOVE!!!!! love!!

:)

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