Recently, I’ve been writing poetry as a way to condense reflections of themes in my life or recent experiences. I thought of the idea for this first one, “What Do you See?” when I was thinking about the small number of images I can clearly see from my childhood. I very rarely see images in my mind, so to be able to see something, I must have spent a lot of time in a specific place or thinking about a specific memory.
“What Do you See?”
What does childhood look like?
What does it sound like?
Taste
Smell
Feel;
–
I see a track with too many sticks on it.
The storm has passed;
I still can’t ride the neighbor’s scooter.
Like the shiny spot on Pawpaw’s head
A hole dug deep into the Georgia clay
Just to see where it would go.
–
I hear a gentle southern drawl.
Mammy answering trivia questions from the other room.
A kitchen with a song to dance to.
Clicking of a mouse;
Solitaire on a desktop.
–
I taste hoecakes
Soft and buttery, fresh from the cast iron.
Graham crackers and milk
Soaked for a tad too long.
The raisins out of the bran;
Flakes left for the adults.
–
I smell honeysuckle
Too apprehensive to taste;
And mildew
A couch too comfy to waste.
Mom burns incense to drown out
Puffs of a cigar,
–
Headache brought on by conflicting smells
Warmth of a hot meal
Sore stomach from laughing
Heavy eyes lying awake
Pieces held together in this body.
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I’m thankful to have traveled much more than ever before in the past few years. Each place I’ve visited, I’ve loved speaking to different folks and learning how they extend hospitality to visitors. I wanted to capture the little moments I experienced in each place while celebrating the joy of returning home.
“Beating Around the Bush”
Los Angeles, California
2 churros please
You know, I played here once
Koufax was incredible
Best I’ve ever seen
I hope things work out with her.
–
Osaka, Japan
Teachers change classes here
Not students
Here’s your map
Sensei will be here if you have any questions
Japan’s best friend.
–
Baltimore, Maryland
If I buy tickets, can we sit anywhere?
Here’s your pitcher
You’ll need it
It’s a shame you don’t drink
Thanks for having us.
–
Atlanta, Georgia
Come on in
Can I get you something to drink?
How’s your grandma doing?
That room sleeps hot
There’s a fan if you need it.
–
We beat around the bush.
There’s a script
Tried and true
For people to be known.
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Finally, my friend Hannah and I wanted to write poetry one day, so we gave each other a title and 8 minutes to write a poem. This one is a tribute to my goofy orange cat who dips his paw into a water fountain in order to drink.
“Cat Water Fountains”
Flick flick flick
He swats
And licks
And repeats;
An orange ball of fur
Quenching his thirst
–
Why does he do this?
Does it serve survival?
Is it necessary?
Perhaps the wrong questions.
He is safe;
Free to choose
His own methods of drinking water.
–
A fountain is provided;
No fear for survival.
He gets to be silly.
Both questioned and loved for his behavior
–
What wonderous things one does when they are comfortable
Am I not the same?
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If you’ve gotten one music recommendation from me in the past year, it’s probably been The Orchardist. Today’s recommendation is their song “All of Me” (or “Sentimental Man,” if you have Apple Music access… I think that song is only streaming there).
The Big Idea 