Poem for Poetry Thursday
Happy Poetry Thursday!
So this week I'm reposting a poem from April that no one saw, but I'm extremely proud of. And, it kinda sorta follows the prompt. I wanted to write a new poem for today but I have a cold, so I'm not feeling up to snuff.
As I did in April, I feel like I have to say something about the poem "Contrition." As with all of my work, please don't assume the author of the poem and the speaker in the poem are the same. I don't like disclaimers but this is one of those times I feel it necessary.
*Poetry Thursday is like a holiday for the mind. Can't wait to spend time with your blogs and your poems.*
Contrition
My son asks me how to write a poem
I tell him that I do not know how
sometimes the poem writes me.
I tell him the story about the woman
who feeds her son oatmeal, he doesn’t want it
but she doesn’t see that—or maybe she does,
jamming the spoon into his clenched mouth
until she hears it clang against his
chipped teeth. He cries, says he’s sorry.
She puts him in Time Out where
he sits facing the wall for hours,
days, years, threatens to throw him
into the middle of next week if he turns around.
He sits there until he faces her as a man. She asks,
“do you remember the color of the oatmeal bowl?”
Now you’re ready to write a poem.
Copyright 2006 January G. O'Neil
So this week I'm reposting a poem from April that no one saw, but I'm extremely proud of. And, it kinda sorta follows the prompt. I wanted to write a new poem for today but I have a cold, so I'm not feeling up to snuff.
As I did in April, I feel like I have to say something about the poem "Contrition." As with all of my work, please don't assume the author of the poem and the speaker in the poem are the same. I don't like disclaimers but this is one of those times I feel it necessary.
*Poetry Thursday is like a holiday for the mind. Can't wait to spend time with your blogs and your poems.*
Contrition
My son asks me how to write a poem
I tell him that I do not know how
sometimes the poem writes me.
I tell him the story about the woman
who feeds her son oatmeal, he doesn’t want it
but she doesn’t see that—or maybe she does,
jamming the spoon into his clenched mouth
until she hears it clang against his
chipped teeth. He cries, says he’s sorry.
She puts him in Time Out where
he sits facing the wall for hours,
days, years, threatens to throw him
into the middle of next week if he turns around.
He sits there until he faces her as a man. She asks,
“do you remember the color of the oatmeal bowl?”
Now you’re ready to write a poem.
Copyright 2006 January G. O'Neil
Comments
That one's going to stick with me for a while.
Very, very good!
Glad you took the time to re-post, January, and hope your cold's better soon :-)
((smile))
K
Yeah for you. Hope you feel better soon.
I certainly wouldn't ahve thought it was you.
very intense
very good
thank you for sharing this one again.
the question about the color of the bowl, holy crap, stopped me and i had to start again.