- for Beulah and John
The window panes
are small and dry,
with a bubble or two,
corners chipped, but sturdy.
Through them is the other side,
a world away.
Keep busy.
Know what the words coming
will be made of.
Keep moving.
Make sure there's
a place to sit, hang your coat,
a plain wall for photos,
and a wood stove to warm
aching hands.
Move the rocker, face
a view of flowers,
and, if you can, birds
at a feeder.
Keep your eye on the sun.
It appears behind the pines
each morning to engage
with the world as it is,
no complaint.
Claire Hersom’s work has appeared in several poetry journals including Yankee Magazine’s New England Memories. In 2012, her book Drowning: A Poetic Memoir (Moon Pie Press, Westbrook, ME, 2008) was supplemental text for the University of Maine’s Rockland campus. Claire serves on the Board of Directors for Maine Equal Justice Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding legislative solutions to poverty in Maine.
The window panes
are small and dry,
with a bubble or two,
corners chipped, but sturdy.
Through them is the other side,
a world away.
Keep busy.
Know what the words coming
will be made of.
Keep moving.
Make sure there's
a place to sit, hang your coat,
a plain wall for photos,
and a wood stove to warm
aching hands.
Move the rocker, face
a view of flowers,
and, if you can, birds
at a feeder.
Keep your eye on the sun.
It appears behind the pines
each morning to engage
with the world as it is,
no complaint.
Claire Hersom’s work has appeared in several poetry journals including Yankee Magazine’s New England Memories. In 2012, her book Drowning: A Poetic Memoir (Moon Pie Press, Westbrook, ME, 2008) was supplemental text for the University of Maine’s Rockland campus. Claire serves on the Board of Directors for Maine Equal Justice Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding legislative solutions to poverty in Maine.
Beautiful poem on many levels. Great tension between stillness and movement.
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