Looking back on the hectic days of February has brought many days of worrying and executing my to-do list for the biggest move of my life. In order to bring some peace into the up-down emotions of packing and coordinating the move to my new home, I needed to etch out some time for writing.
My thanks go out once again to Laura Shovan for creating a space for the 9th Annual February Poem Project of daily poetry writing. Below are two of my latest fast write pieces.
Day 5 Prompt: Skin
Aging is a matter of mind even though our bodies slow us down. Our skin has weathered life through the decades. The following poem came to me as I looked at the brown spots on my husband's face.
Day 10 Prompt: Hair
Dedicated to all cancer survivors...
It is late now on Friday night and I spent all day unpacking, organizing my newly-constructed closets and my kitchen our Virginia home. It's been a long day so I apologize for dropping in late.
packing, unpacking, chugging along
like a train moving on
destination in sight
CV, 2021, draft
Today is Poetry Friday and Karen Edmisten is the host bringing some Billy Collins' humor into the opening of my day.
Reading these two "bodies" poems together -- I see a theme of resilience, of thriving. Wishing you well as you set up your new home, Carol!
ReplyDeleteHooray! Glad to see you are the unpacking stage. I love the poem of your husband's skin. I'm trying to find the beauty in aging with each new day. Some days take more effort than others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for both poems. I lived through the hair poem, and am living into the wrinkle poem (because...why fight the inevitable?!?!)
ReplyDeleteI especially like the skin poem. I do believe our facial wrinkles show paths of experience, less than age itself. I am glad you are moved and currently unpacking, Carol! I hope life slows down for you somewhat and you can enjoy being in your new home/place. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYea for the unpacking. Enjoy getting settled in your new home. I loved both of these poems when you shared them on the daily prompts, and am glad you shared them again here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these two poems. It makes me think about how we define ourselves--skin and hair are such a big part of how we present ourselves to the world. But as I get older, while I still think about how I look (and not always in kind ways!) I identify less with the outside and more with what's inside.
ReplyDeleteYour love for your husband shines through in the first poem. And I appreciate your words about resilience.
Congrats on arriving and unpacking!
The resilience shines beautifully through both of these poems, Carol. The hair poem makes me think of when my daughter was first on a medication for Crohn's disease and it caused her to lose a lot of hair. She, too, is amazingly resilient. Thanks for these, and wishing you every good thing with this move!
ReplyDeleteI hope your next weeks go beautifully, Carol, & you settle into that new home & love it. I remember that first poem, a lovely ode, & love that line "moisturized by ancestral positivity", but missed the one about hair, also super with the defiance "hair does not define me". Happy March!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Carol! I hope your transition is going well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these two very strong poems Carol, I'm amazed you had time to post them with your move. I especially like the ending lines of your skin poem, "ancestral positivity" and "tribute to thriving humans."Good luck with your unpacking.
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