Thinking About Poetry On A Monday

This morning, on my way into work (how many times have I used that line?), I heard a bit on WFDD about a new poetry journal that's being put together and published in Greensboro. It's called Cave Wall. They have an up-and-coming website here: Cave Wall Press, LLC.

This got me thinking about poetry. I've written a lot of it-- even published some of it. Oh, and I won a contest for it many moons ago.

I've been writing my wife poems. I made a vow to her when we first became serious about our relationship: I would write her a poem for every season. By that count, we should be up to twelve poems. I don't think I've got them all. I think I still owe her two.

Anyway, I haven't written a whole lot of poetry in the last five years. I've gone through a couple periods where I was consistently crankin' them out, but work and life have been conspiring to keep me from penning at a satisfactory rate.

This bit on WFDD has got me thinking, though. And while I haven't been producing a lot of it, I still value it and hope to write-- and publish-- more of it in the future.

Having said that, I've decided to post one here. I may post more. This is one I wrote close to three years ago (the title is "Approaching Thirty" and I am now "Approaching Thirty-Three").

Approaching Thirty

I have no desire to recreate the past, 
or invent the future.

The present is raw, 
cut from mistakes and intuition--
       apple seeds and bank statements.

This is where I live, happy for distraction--
       books and song,
       movies and roller coasters--
But these only mark the spaces between--
moments suspended in a network of thoughts 
and associated feelings.

A picture that reminds me of past drunks.
A shirt that doesn’t fit like it used to.
A song that no longer brings me to tears.
A book half forgotten, quoted without passion.

But life is raw, 
and continues to chafe, rub, and tickle.

Each successive avenue is brilliant 
with simplicity.

And this is where I live, 
amongst memories and currents 
cool and new.