She can be a little maladroit in social situations
Socks slipping
Hems breaking
Voice singing like a kettle
I forget she is awkward
Or is that me
I sit silently
Listening to voices
Following signs and signals
Smiling to myself
The world is as big as you make it
I choose a shoe box room
Line it with paper
Fill our hands with ink
Then the shoe box grows into a house
And the house has a mirror
To fall through
And a window
To look through
And that is just fine
No need to be troubled by other people
No need to imagine anything more
I pull up her socks
Tidy her hems
With a little tincture and tea her voice lowers
Calm and crisp
Like a little jay bird singing on my shoulder
We count the charms
Measure the letters
And at once we are at ease again.
Love this especially; "We count the charms/Measure the letters/And at once we are at ease again."💖💖
ReplyDeleteI relate to this poem, Jae: the socks slipping and hems breaking – I was always breaking my spectacles, had bruises from tripping over my own feet – still do – and I am the most inelegant, dare I say gauche, person I know. I stay away from most social situations, can’t bear crowds, and am lucky to have, most of the time, someone who can follow signs and signals. My daughter is good at that.
ReplyDeleteI love the bit about the shoe box room – I used to make them when I was a child. I wish I’d had a mirror to fall through!
Perfection. From the gauche to the jay bird singing on your shoulder. If only we all could be fortunate to carry around a bird to sing for us.
ReplyDeleteI love the description, and relate to it. I was awkward in my younger years. Smiles. I love the room that becomes a house. A truly delightful poem.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun read, Jae. I liked the "... a shoe box room
ReplyDeleteLine it with paper Fill our hands with ink Then the shoe box grows into a house", it reminded me of the awfulest restaurant in Houston. It became a hangout, I enjoyed going and eating there, the food was good, the kitchen was clean, and the restrooms were horrible. The floors were aging cement, the walls had been off white at one time, the graffiti was gratis but generally pretty good. Find a spot, make a spot. That went for finding a place to sit also. It was bought out by a super one-man-owned chain for the name.
..
There is a certain satisfaction of being in control of ones own life. It has been some time since a wild bird has trusted me enough to perch on my hand or come inside to check what food I might have for them but it has happened.
ReplyDeleteThe transition from awkward to a jay bird is very well penned. Love the narrative 😊
ReplyDeleteNo need to be troubled by other people...
ReplyDeleteI love the care with which the speaker tends the other persona. The last lines are truly touching.
We count the charms
ReplyDeleteMeasure the letters
And at once we are at ease again.
To get a grip of oneself is the way to many successful ventures. It emits confidence and control that makes it easier to be more organized
Hank
Like others have said, there was definitely awkwardness in my young adult years, trying to fit in, in the wrong place, with the wrong people .. until I found myself. You write beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI love how you and your other persona support each other... feeling awkward is a feeling that always is better if it's shared.
ReplyDeleteI've often found it comforting to know that even if I'm awkward in larger social situations, I know that there are places and people where I fit in just fine. We're all mad there--but the best people usually are. :)
ReplyDeleteEven as old as I am, I feel awkward in some situations, particularly where I don't know many people. Great write!
ReplyDeleteYour shoulder to lean on, so to speak, I am sure means more than you will ever know.
ReplyDelete