Chatterbox: Inkwell

-Poetry/Song Thread-

Salutations, fellow CBers! I have decided that there should be a thread for poems and song lyrics that we have made. Feel free to post any poetry or songs you’ve written, whatever genre, rhyme scheme, or length! Also, feel free to give background on when or why you wrote your piece or what it’s about. To set the stage, I’ll share two of my own, and I’ll probably post some more later. 

This is is a poem I wrote recently when I was at home bymy self one morning with our kitchen window. It hit me in waves, and when I thought of the first stanza I rushed to get a sticky note pad and a pencil. Now the sticky notes are lined up on the window frame by my bed.

To me, this poem is bittersweet, entwined with memories and ultimately symbolizing the passage of time. 

-Silent Day-

I love these silent days

When nothing needs to be said

Because there is no one there to hear it.

The only voices are distant ones

Born of unseen people.

On a day like this the neighbors would have been out

And we would have gone down and played spies with them.

Nothing goes wrong

Because nothing can.

The breeze coming in through the open window

And the smell of pollen —

Or is it summer? —

So gently touch my face.

Each bird in this tree I know.

How have you been?

The alley is empty.

After we played spies, we would have walked down the alley to see the chickens.

How long has the handrail been gone?

I can’t remember.

We would have plucked the longest chickenweed stems and stuffed them through the wire fence.

Was it only just a year ago the neighbors moved away?

A bird is in the tree...

How lovely his song is...

And then we would have walked back, perhaps reentering through the secret stairs...

When did the honeysuckle lose its flavor?

Was it the year we sprayed for poison ivy?

The park’s is better now.

And maybe we would have plucked the unripe berries from their bushes,

Eating them one by one...

If only every day

Were a silent day like this.