I adore the poem What’s in My Journal by William Stafford because it is deceptively simply and equally deep. You think you are going to read a list of tangible things and yet there is so much more. I want to revisit this poem and try to do the same but for today’s rough draft, I took the easy way out.
What’s on My Desk
Expected things, like pens and pencils. Art
things like crayons, scraps of handmade paper,
a paintbrush I forgot to wash. Stuffing from a
dog toy, stolen from the dog just before she ate
it. A Christmas card I forgot to mail. An empty water
bottle. A dirty coffee cup. Dead batteries and a dead fly.
Evidence of my poor housekeeping skills.
A paper dictionary I never use anymore. A quote
to help me be more focused. A rock I found in the
backyard. The collar from my only cat,
gone 10 years now. Two crumpled pieces of paper
torn from a notebook. My tolerance for clutter is high
yet I rarely work at my desk too surrounded by
things to sidetrack me from creating something new.
Susan Taylor Brown
WHATS ON MY MIND
My mind if full
of nothingness
I distinguish
fact from fiction
I cannot however
solve problems
For the entire universe
All that out of the equation
What is there left to do
Get up in the morning
Go to work
Deal with anything in between
Come home
Go to bed and dream
Given all of that
There are no more worries
The burdens have been lifted
I am now free to live my life
In peace and harmony
To manifest only good thoughts
For an even brighter tomorrow
– Anne McKenna
You always have a lot on your mind, Anne. Glad to see you exploring it more with poetry.