Sitting Behind the Eight Ball

Junk

Today’s Ethical ELA is hosted by a former colleague Rex Muston. He just saw my desk at the art center yesterday and said he could tell it was my desk. Yes, I’m not an organized person. Open most any drawer and it’s most likely full of crazy things. I’ve been trying to clean these out, so some are kind of empty, but the things left inside seem to need a new home, I just don’t know where to put most things. I think I am borderline ADD, especially when cleaning as I bounce from one room to the next. If you have any suggestions for how to keep things in order, feel free to share your suggestions. 

Pandora's Box

beneath old coins
a beaded vest
an old granny dress,
bittersweet memories bloom−
sister’s wintery wedding
a prom date disaster
my daughter’s stillbirth

beyond baby quilts
handwritten notes
children’s poems,
a trapped cry sighs−
tenderly touching treasures 
carefully tucked away 
inside the cedar coffin

Barb Edler
19 March 2024
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Barb Edler
Hello, I am a retired English teacher. I live along the Mississippi River and enjoy watching birds, the river, and nature in general. Writing for me is a gateway to healing, and I love to wrestle words in hopes of capturing an emotion or image others may relate.
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8 responses to “Junk”

  1. mschiubookawrites Avatar
    mschiubookawrites

    Your poetry is rich with imagery and emotion. Each line tugged at my heart, but these lines stood out to me- “beyond baby quilts
    handwritten notes
    children’s poems,
    a trapped cry sighs−”

    Thank you for sharing this deeply personal slice.

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Fran McCrackin Avatar
    Fran McCrackin

    Agree with Cindy- such a beautiful poignant poem. The Pandora’s box open memories and that trapped cry. Your final line of each verse each startles us.

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Leigh Anne Eck Avatar
    Leigh Anne Eck

    Oh my heart. Such emotion is written into every single line.

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Glenda Funk Avatar
    Glenda Funk

    Barb,

    Your poem is a heart-wrencher. It reveals so much about you and the life you’ve lived. The title is an apt metaphor w/ a twist telling the reader we’ll find something unexpected inside but not what we’d typically expect. You take us on a journey from the seemingly normal, rather innocuous things stored away to the heartache that remains. It reminds me of the poem “One Art.” You, my friend, have some heavy things to carry. I admire your honesty and willingness to be vulnerable. I’m not that brave. I’m a hider. Peace.

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    1. Barb Edler Avatar
      Barb Edler

      Thanks, Glenda. I love Bishop’s poem. It is referenced in the book All My Rage, although it is YA, I think you would really enjoy reading it.

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  5. Maureen Young Ingram Avatar
    Maureen Young Ingram

    I just read your dear poem on Ethical ELA; now I’m imagining the small world where Rex Muston walks by your desk at the arts center…love all the intersections of this writing community. I have an aunt who assured me at a very young age not to take criticism about being ‘messy’ as an insult; she said – and I still believe – ‘messy’ is a sign of a creative mind, allowing one to keep many things at the forefront all the time.

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    1. Barb Edler Avatar
      Barb Edler

      I love your aunt’s comment!

      Like

      Reply
  6. Denise Krebs Avatar
    Denise Krebs

    Barb, what a heart tugging poem. Beautiful. A switch in the mood of the poem came with “bittersweet memories bloom” Wow. It makes me realize that they can even become more painful the longer they are there. And then “carefully tucked away inside the cedar coffin” really makes the poem so powerful. I got to that line and reread thinking of sitting at the cedar chest and looking at each item. Wow. Peace to you in the memories.

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