Poetry Thursday: Box of Poems

Last week my Poetry Thursday post was a poem I had found in a box tucked away in the basement. It's not that I didn't know I had the box; I just hadn't looked in it in several years and had forgotten what was in it: a few short story drafts, lots of clippings and notes, some old letters that I don't remember keeping, and some poems. Some were good, some have potential to be if I do some smithing, some were just in the 'ugh! What an embarrassment that I wrote that!' category.

I was planning to post a different poem than the ones below, but I haven't finished revising it yet so it will have to wait. I've started, but it was originally written in a very chaotic, confusing and depressing time in my life, and I haven't been able to work on it with any clarity of mind, except in very short stretches. It might be a gem, if can get past the mawkishness of it.

This is my 4th Poetry Thursday post and this has been so much fun! Each week's 'completely and totally optional idea' has prompted me to write something, although I haven't finished the 'overheard line' poem. I have a great line, but I'm still chiseling away at the stone to find the statue inside. The best thing about Poetry Thursday is that I've started writing again -- something I haven't done in over a decade. Or maybe the best thing is that I have had people read these poems. Wow! And comment on them. The feedback has been both constructive and encouraging.

Below are two poems from the box that I wrote many years ago; the first over 20 years ago, revised just this week. The second I wrote about 16 or 17 years ago.

Living Alone
I don't miss you
except sometimes at night
when 3am chair-to-chair
cat jumps wake me.
And then in the morning,
when no one is there
to pick white cat hairs off
the back of my blue, wool coat.


Soliloquy: Sunday Solitude
white roof tops
winter-dead branches
Sunday afternoon

baby sleeping
husband gone
alone in my room

the furnace buzzes
the computer hums
noise in tune

papers to be graded
supper to be made
activity too soon