jillypoet: mom trying to write

Each day I wish I had invented waterproof sticky notes (for shower inspiration) or pen-friendly diapers to get down all my quirky thoughts that I am sure are relevant and publishable. And so God (actually another writer-mommy) sent me The Blog.

Friday, January 02, 2009

How To Soften Your Hands

I would wash dishes until my skin peeled off in ragged rinds
if only my plates and bowls would squeak,
you are happily married.

..........The husband shovels tunnels around
..........the shuttered house
..........waiting to be rid of the hungry horde.

*************************************************

I wrote this in response to Carolee's poem which she wrote after we played with Anne Sexton's poem Her Kind. It's sort of a letter poem.

Process note: I wrote it first without the snow and the husband, and ended with the pretty bowl. The husband wormed his way in. Should he stay?

Labels: , ,

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh this one is really good. I think the husband should stay, in large part because I simply love the stanza "The wife inside would scrub the floor
with her tongue if she could taste
the true love the man claims in his soul." Or did you mean only stanza two and the last one wormed its way in?

"Say it again, silently, see if it tells the same tale." seems like a more concrete ending than the pretty bowl. It makes a demand on the reader.

12:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

jill, this is fabulous! so glad the snow came into it (it's quite nice: "not a day passes/ without someone tracking it in").

it inspired a response (to your response); it just took me a day to pull it together.

it's here.

5:38 PM  
Blogger Michelle said...

You are so talented, Jill.

Yes, I also think the husband should stay. Unfortunately, he seems to belong to the poem right from "The husband shovels tunnels around ..."

You two are on a Sexton roll. I love it.

Isn't she a mesmerizing witch when she reads "Her Kind"? Imagine having a reading voice like that.

11:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

glad to see the husband stayed...

5:37 PM  
Anonymous academia-research.com said...

So interesting post! Thanks for sharing.

10:31 AM  
Anonymous http://www.bestessay4u.com/ said...

That is very kind of you to write this share for us, thanks a lot

4:52 AM  
Anonymous companies to buy essay said...

Awesome blog. I enjoyed reading your articles.

9:38 AM  
Anonymous essaywriter review said...

Very interesting post! Thanks.

4:47 AM  
Anonymous essay writer said...

Thanks a lot for this post! It's cool.

9:16 AM  
Anonymous Buy Essay Services Review said...

It is great too! I hope you will post more and more!

9:05 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home