To round out 2009, I want to share two more poems—the subjects of which came to mind over the past few weeks while I was getting ready for the holidays and visiting my parents for Christmas. Not surprisingly, one good and one bad, as is fitting for this time of the year.
Wherever you are, I hope 2010 is your best one yet!
***
Eden
As usual, she began this creation
Behind schedule: a carefully planted
Plot of flannel and cotton,
Received just a little late,
A flowing checkerboard
Of rose and bluebell and lilac.
Golden pinwheels twirl sun spots
Skittering and dancing across its surface.
Cut and basted, stitched and batted -
She labored over this fabric,
Embossing it with daisies
Stemming from white thread.
At bedtime I slip under this garden
Of blooms. Even though I’m so far
From home, she still manages to
Keep me safe and warm.
I’m really not a creative writer. Assignments and deadlines are what make me tick, which is why I typically cover newsy things. But for one semester in college, I gave it a try. Michael McFee, a great poet in his own right, teaches poetry writing at Carolina, so I decided to take it. It was challenging, but enjoyable. I pretty much discovered that I don’t have the patience…or maybe even the artistic mind…to write poetry all that often. But for 16 weeks, I did, and I came up with some stuff that I like even now.
