Thursday, December 1, 2011

Writing on Thursday

A Poem

Over the weekend my daughters and I went into an antiques store. While they looked at dated dolls, I picked up a crusty orange-bound, red-spined book. I'm always picking up books. Something about this one, as with so many, just caught my eye.

I flipped to its center, and this was what I read. It's simply titled SEVEN, for it's the seventh entry.

We touch.
Shoulder-to-shoulder.
You can't do more when crossing streets
with mannequins in windows looking back.

I try to match your step--
that way I'm sure of staying close.
You smell like love.
That must be so
for what I smell is dear to me and new.

And so a little walk through town
becomes a journey
a love vacation from ourselves
but with ourselves.

Everything you say is funny
               or beautiful.

Sometimes I forget that old material can be so current. That something written decades ago can touch me today. Until there it is in front of me.

In this poem I recognize something I've never had, but I also (hopelessly, romantically) read my future.

So I bought the book.

LISTEN TO THE WARM by Rod McKuen , copyright 1967.

8 comments:

Slamdunk said...

Excellent Janna; thanks for sharing.

At a nature center that we regularly visit while the kids are watching for woodpeckers and squirrels through their observation windows, I may be caught peeking into some of the 19th century relics found at the site (it was a farm).

In their collection, is a book of handwritten poetry and thoughts from the 1880s. It is an interesting and surprisingly relevant browse.

Diane said...

Very unique and an interesting melody to it. :O)

Andrea (Andee) Beltran said...

I love how these little things manage to find their way to us. Your post made me smile!

Terri Tiffany said...

And you will have it:)))

Jemi Fraser said...

Very cool! I love finding old things like that :)

Jessica Bell said...

Wow. How beautiful!

PS: Received your submission to Vine Leaves. Thank you so much for submitting! I think I've seen your name around too. I also presume you would have read one of my submissions to Rose & Thorn at one point! :o) I'm very surprised we haven't crossed paths too. Kathryn and Angie and I have been blogging buds for about a year now. Anyway, so wonderful to meet you. I'm looking forward to reading your sub!!! :o)

Kathryn Magendie said...

oh! This is lovely and wistful and I thought it was kind of "familiar" in tone or whatever, then when you said it was Rod McKuen, I went "OH!" because I have a book of his poetry and even mentioned him in Secret Graces:
"The book she held was a poetry book by Rod McKuen called Alone. . . . she read aloud, “‘Once or twice a face comes near, and I look up and then look down.’"

I'm going to go find that book of poetry and read it again!

Kathy said...

Nice poem! I really liked it.