The Poem House
Let me memorize this—
The rain just beginning,
the light soft, too gray,
a gloaming at noon.
Flowers etched in light on the green lampshade,
fern leaves lit from within.
The pictures on the wall are crooked.
The seams of this quilt are crooked.
Above the large book, the crown of her head,
the quick lifting and furrowing,
the voice at once gravelly and high.
She is sitting on my feet.
Crooked quilt making a valley between
the big and little hills of our bent knees.
It’s all I have to bring today,Β she reads,
this, and my heart be—be—besides.
She, too, is forever expecting bees.
The fog’s little cat feet make her laugh.
And the touch of dreams is over all.
And the touch of dreams
She likes this so much she reads it twice,
each word softer, disappearing
behind her serious face.
is over all
I see how she’s drawing the words inside herself.
Filling herself up with fog and clover
and the dusk and the dark
and nobody and the livelong June.
Her small toes twitch
little cat feet
her eyes peer over the page.
We should have a poem house, she says.
Later she’ll write it: THE POWEM HAWS.
She’s six, she spells like Winnie the Pooh.
A powem haws with powems on the walls,
this one first—
It’s all I have to bring.
Later the touch of dreams.
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Jeanne says:
On February 19, 2013 at 7:23 pm
Jeanne says:
heh — I used html marks for emphasis, forgetting that they are *real* here — so my comment did not post. All I wrote was: “deep intake of breath,” or something like that. I’ll add a crooked smile to go with the crooked quilt.
On February 19, 2013 at 7:26 pm
Jessica says:
Sigh… that was wonderful. I felt like I was right there. Haven’t had that exact moment, but ones awfully similar. Thank you so much for writing/sharing it!
On February 19, 2013 at 7:33 pm
Monica says:
How beautiful! π π
On February 19, 2013 at 7:40 pm
sarah says:
I wish I could write in words, to show it, the moment of silence after reading a poem like this. The moment of wonder.
Beautiful, clever, such a lovely rising and falling, a lovely contrasting, perfect rhythm – I loved it.
On February 19, 2013 at 7:50 pm
Von Rupert says:
You’re trying to make me cry…
You’ve captured IT perfectly.
On February 19, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Tabatha says:
You brought a tear to my eye, too. Glad you let the poem that was welling up inside you come out.
On February 20, 2013 at 2:45 am
Rachel says:
Pensive sigh. Maybe sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words but sometimes the words capture it better.
On February 20, 2013 at 5:27 am
Karen Edmisten says:
Beyond lovely.
On February 20, 2013 at 5:41 am
Ellie says:
Love. Just love. π
On February 20, 2013 at 6:02 am
tanita says:
*stinging eyes*
Memorize this, indeed. How utterly lovely.
On February 20, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Tara says:
Oh, to spell like Winnie the Pooh and to write about the touch of dreams…at six. Gorgeous poem!
On February 22, 2013 at 8:05 am
Andromeda Jazmon says:
Oh my stars I love this!! How utterly sweet. Thank you for sharing this preciousness with us!
On February 22, 2013 at 9:20 am
Kathy says:
That’s just beautiful.
On February 22, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Bridget Magee says:
Wow! Fabulous poem. Thanks for sharing. =)
On February 22, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Donna says:
Ah, such a sweet picture to memorize! I can almost see my daughter 20+ years ago in this. Thanks so much for sharing it.
On February 23, 2013 at 9:27 am
Ruth says:
Oh, this is so wonderful. I picture lots of moments like this that I’ve had with my daughter. It brings tears to my eyes.
On February 23, 2013 at 10:09 am