A post wherein I resolve to write more blog posts…and discuss the notion of resolve.
Resolutions are bad, right? At least, I’ve heard they’re bad because they’re so easily broken. I spent much of this New Year’s Day organizing the hundreds of books I have crowding floors and baskets and bookshelves. Not a resolution, just a goal I have carried with me longer than I care to admit. After realizing I accumulated at least 50 new poetry books in the past year that I’ve not even read yet, I have almost (not quite) forgiven my husband for not honoring my one Christmas wish which was for poetry books on my Amazon wish list.
Sitting surrounded by poetry, watching Iron Chef, I picked up Mary Jo Bang’s latest, The Bride of E. Another new book I have read maybe one poem from. While reading, I was inspired to write a poem. All at once, I thought, “Hey, why not try to write a poem-a-day this year?” We shall see… Join me anyone?
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Being the Only Child in the Suburbs to Grow Up Eating Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, June Cleaver Goes Back to the Old Neighborhood In Search of a Recipe, Discovers the Kitchen Is Not Big Enough For a Large German White Woman
There were things I did not have
growing up
things I wanted
the blue box of macaroni and cheese
turquoise toilet water
lighter blue eyes.
Then there are the gems you hold
in your fists while you sleep–
sparkling water
so bright you could drink from a blue goblet
were you to dip one in the toilet,
the rush of warm oven heat
a blanket of soft white cheese
eyes that match your father’s
and the river he swam in as a child.
When you are blue
remember these dinners
on cobalt plates
steaming macaroni and cheese,
the blue gingham apron
keeping your mother clean.
jillypoet 
Oh, this is fantastic, Jill. I don’t think I entirely like the archness of the title, though. It doesn’t stand as tall as the poem does.
A poem a day? All year? Yikes.
Um, I’ll think about it 🙂
Hi Dale! Yes, I totally agree with you about the title! For some reason, I couldn’t come up with a title for this poem. And usually titles are my favorite part!
PS: I haven’t even mentioned a-poem-a-day to my partner-in-crime!
we had both types of mac & chz at our house. but homemade was one of my mom’s specialties. one of those things she always made after we’d grown up and would come home to visit.
a poem a day all year.
you’re crazy.
but i love you anyway.
too bad i can’t even consider a poem a day in 2010 b/c i’d already be behind. 🙂
I say go for it, and will be happy to cheerlead along the way. 😀
For this one: I love the different meanings blue takes on here in both memory and wish… very nice.
This is very warm and comforting. (and i mean that in a good way) Though I am old enough to think of turquoise toilet water as dime store cologne.
Learning to love what is already yours can be a chore. The idea of my mother in an apron, of any pattern…she wore cotton “house dresses” and there was frequently a gray stripe across the belly of them, courtesy of the strip of metal trim around the kitchen counter.
Hope your non-resolve leads you well
Really like this one….especially the ending.
Mmmm. Inspired! I love this poem, the attention to all those blues, my favorite color, feeling, music.
50 books of poetry, also inspiring. A hubby who doesn’t honor the wish list: silly, thoughtless man.
PAD? I am already behind, too.
(I’ve resolved to not make any. Just my state of mind.)
Its great to know that Im not the only crazy person writing a poem a day in 2010 🙂
Love the site. Love the idea of a poem a day – not sure I could keep up the quality though. Best of luck to you.