(no subject)

[pegkerr]

The night before her death
Warned by a dream
She packed up her sorrows
In her cedar hope chest
Mementos interspersed with
Crackling layers of blue tissue paper,
Scattered with lavender
The college catalogue
The child’s christening dress,
Never worn
The colorful travel brochures for
Exotic voyages never taken
On the top of the chest she placed
A dried, crumbling rose,
Tied with a red silk ribbon
Treasured since the last night of
Her uncertain girlhood
She left it there
Unsure whether it was
Her greatest joy
Or her greatest regret

Comments

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I know I don't usually comment, but this poem really moves me. Did you write it ?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did. I don't usually write poetry, but this one just sort of bubbled up this morning when I was listening to "Pack Up Your Sorrows" on the way to work this morning.

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

Maybe it might be worth focusing on poetry for a while, because the world is missing out on something really moving.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Evocative, mysterious, lovely.

[ckd]

Wow. That's evocative, indeed.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Ay yi yi.

So beautiful. Now that I see this, I remember that many years ago I wrote poetry every day because it was finishable. I could write one in a few minutes or an afternoon, and then it was done: no anxiety about whether I'd be able to get it done, or make it good enough (because when it comes right down to it, I don't know what makes a poem good), or sell it (because the answer to that is no, about five people in the industry sell poetry) or anything but express whatever it was I needed to express.

This was such a relief at a time when I felt I would never finish anything again.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Wow!

[loup_noir]

That's incredible.

I hope you plan on submitting it somewhere. It's lovely, evocative and manages that perfect bittersweet balance.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I hope you keep writing poetry. I love that.

[carbonel]

ObCopyeditor: "mementos" (or "mementoes," take your pick), not "momentos."

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Oddly enough, I had it spelled correctly earlier in the day but changed it.

I've changed it back.