deepundergroundpoetry.com
little things found in secondhand books
a photograph of a young Jack Russell
with a scruffy black head
and white body,
looking like a plucked chicken.
a birthday message,
handwritten, dated two weeks
before it reached my hands.
(the recipient must not have liked
Southern Gothic short stories.)
a postcard of a Van Gogh scene
(“Wheatfield, with Cypresses”).
that one i keep on my nightstand,
backlit by my reading lamp.
i think about the hands
that placed these little gifts
between the pages of the books.
a woman’s hands,
wrinkled, writing on
the first blank page.
a male hand marking the spot,
with the picture of the dog.
with a scruffy black head
and white body,
looking like a plucked chicken.
a birthday message,
handwritten, dated two weeks
before it reached my hands.
(the recipient must not have liked
Southern Gothic short stories.)
a postcard of a Van Gogh scene
(“Wheatfield, with Cypresses”).
that one i keep on my nightstand,
backlit by my reading lamp.
i think about the hands
that placed these little gifts
between the pages of the books.
a woman’s hands,
wrinkled, writing on
the first blank page.
a male hand marking the spot,
with the picture of the dog.
Published 1st Sep 2021
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likes 5
reading list entries 2
comments 3
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Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
The imagery of this is astounding to me; that ending definitely marks the spot on this poem. I can personally relate as well; so much has made its way into my hands through used books: recipes, airport receipts from faraway countries, phone numbers on the back of gum wrappers, photographs.
They're all puzzle pieces of another life.
They're all puzzle pieces of another life.
Anonymous
3rd Sep 2021 6:21pm
Perhaps they are personal messages from the Universe to you that your poet's mind can make sense of ..? In the very least, great inspiration for a unique poem.
Anonymous
6th Sep 2021 5:30am
Love the direct, clear use of imagery--
The list / cataloguing form--
The suggestion of mystery, both in the postcard, and the allusions to hands--
Nice writing, overall, as the images do so much work, thanks to the style, which is very effective.
If it were mine: I'd see if I could develop the sense of mystery / awe which lies underneath this. I'm not sure which direction (the mysterious angle, which could be cultivated; or the kind of awe at how these objects exist, traveled to the possessor, the stories they tell)--but I'd try to bring that a little more to the surface.
LIKE from this reader!
The list / cataloguing form--
The suggestion of mystery, both in the postcard, and the allusions to hands--
Nice writing, overall, as the images do so much work, thanks to the style, which is very effective.
If it were mine: I'd see if I could develop the sense of mystery / awe which lies underneath this. I'm not sure which direction (the mysterious angle, which could be cultivated; or the kind of awe at how these objects exist, traveled to the possessor, the stories they tell)--but I'd try to bring that a little more to the surface.
LIKE from this reader!
