I want to restack this, but it feels too personal, and somehow I do not feel like it is my place to reprint it on the internet.
Even though, of course, I read it on the internet.
This is a pretty brilliant expression of a feeling common to us all when we take comfort in doing a simple thing that can be done, in the face of the huge swirling complex of everything that we are barely able to influence.
Margaret Ann, I have been meaning to ask... Every time I read the name of your publication it brings to mind an aria from Tristan and Isolde that includes the expression: "I am myself the world".
Which is an expression that has significant philosophical import to me.
In your abundant free time (I am making an inside joke having been a parent of young ones myself) you might on a wild chance find a new book by the physicist Christoff Koch to be interesting. He uses that phrase as the title.
Thank you, Jed. Never worry about restacking my poems, but I appreciate your sensitivity about it. It was meant to be a representation of all the anxious and sad thoughts I have swirling in my head for a lot of each day, but I can see now that looked quite literal.
The name of my Substack is actually adapted from a line from a Randall Jarrell poem, “When I Was Home Last Christmas…” (I found a copy of it online here: https://voetica.com/poem/10475. I really hope it’s not filled with viruses or something.) And now I’m kind of worrying that I plagiarized it 😳. The last two lines are “For all we said, and did, and thought—/ The world we were.” I love those lines so much. Years later, I began to think about my husband, kids, and myself as “the world we are.”
I got your recommendation for Christoff Koch’s book in Chat—thank you!
The peace of calming repetitive tasks— just to be a body with hands sorting, rinsing, stacking—when you need to stop thinking. . . I feel you, Margaret.
Thank you, Angela! I’ve been thinking about this prompt a lot and realized that most of my “when I tell you, what I mean is…” situations have to do with sorting out or avoiding sad thoughts. I want to think about the happy “when I tell you, what I mean is…” things too, and find a poem there 😊.
I love it. A perfect conclusion to a beautiful poem.
It reminds me of how in the chaos of five kids who were all under age 8 I used to line up all the hanging clothes beside the dryer in ROYGBV order. It was soothing to go a step further than just creating order out of the chaos of laundry, a small bit of beauty in my laundry room.
Oh my goodness. I know exactly what you mean. When I had four little ones (the last two came quite a bit later), I used to separate all the Legos into different bins based on color. I would spend HOURS doing this, only to have it all mixed up a day later because, duh, my kids wanted to play with the Legos, not organize them. But it was so soothing for me.
Yes! So soothing. It's like there is so much chaos in the house I cannot possibly keep it all tidy. I can't keep us on a reasonable schedule. But I can sort these bins of toys and make them tidy and have at least one thing be neat. But it was more than that, the process itself was so soothing.
YES! Another one is taking all the books off the shelves and rearranging them. I did this over Christmas break for my kids’ books. It felt so good to still be close to the kids while they were working stuff nearby, while also boxing up outgrown books and saying goodbye to the eras those books represented.
I have got that goosebumps thing I very occasionally get when reading something with this one Margaret. I am actually a bit stumped for words other than thank you for sharing it
Thank you for opening up the way to this poem, Nelly 💛. And seriously, you can’t give a better compliment than goosebumps (I know I already said that but I’m saying it again 💛.)
So much feeling and so many unspoken stories, shaped and contained in these lines, Margaret Ann. There are different "voices" you use in your writing and sometimes more than one voice shows up in the same poem and that's an interesting conversation; a poem like this, though, where the voice is one voice all the way through, is incredibly powerful.
I’m glad it felt relatable, MK. I’d love to see where you go with this prompt. @Nelly Bryce has a gift for finding prompts that can go in so many directions.
I want to restack this, but it feels too personal, and somehow I do not feel like it is my place to reprint it on the internet.
Even though, of course, I read it on the internet.
This is a pretty brilliant expression of a feeling common to us all when we take comfort in doing a simple thing that can be done, in the face of the huge swirling complex of everything that we are barely able to influence.
Margaret Ann, I have been meaning to ask... Every time I read the name of your publication it brings to mind an aria from Tristan and Isolde that includes the expression: "I am myself the world".
Which is an expression that has significant philosophical import to me.
In your abundant free time (I am making an inside joke having been a parent of young ones myself) you might on a wild chance find a new book by the physicist Christoff Koch to be interesting. He uses that phrase as the title.
Thank you for an excellent poem.
Thank you, Jed. Never worry about restacking my poems, but I appreciate your sensitivity about it. It was meant to be a representation of all the anxious and sad thoughts I have swirling in my head for a lot of each day, but I can see now that looked quite literal.
The name of my Substack is actually adapted from a line from a Randall Jarrell poem, “When I Was Home Last Christmas…” (I found a copy of it online here: https://voetica.com/poem/10475. I really hope it’s not filled with viruses or something.) And now I’m kind of worrying that I plagiarized it 😳. The last two lines are “For all we said, and did, and thought—/ The world we were.” I love those lines so much. Years later, I began to think about my husband, kids, and myself as “the world we are.”
I got your recommendation for Christoff Koch’s book in Chat—thank you!
The peace of calming repetitive tasks— just to be a body with hands sorting, rinsing, stacking—when you need to stop thinking. . . I feel you, Margaret.
Yes, Ann! Something to take me out of myself.
‘When I tell you, “I’m going to load the dishwasher”
what I mean is, please let me be by myself.
Please let me disappear into a task that makes more sense…’ So very relatable! Wonderful x
Thank you, Angela! I’ve been thinking about this prompt a lot and realized that most of my “when I tell you, what I mean is…” situations have to do with sorting out or avoiding sad thoughts. I want to think about the happy “when I tell you, what I mean is…” things too, and find a poem there 😊.
Please let me disappear into a task that makes more sense
than the blade of infidelity slicing
than the gray finger of cancer pressing
than the weight our daughter keeps losing.
OOF!
Yeah, it’s grief-thoughts like this that make me want to be able to turn off my brain sometimes 😵💫.
"The rows of mugs are more reasonable
than the exquisite, invisible needs
radiating from each hour of the day."
I love it. A perfect conclusion to a beautiful poem.
It reminds me of how in the chaos of five kids who were all under age 8 I used to line up all the hanging clothes beside the dryer in ROYGBV order. It was soothing to go a step further than just creating order out of the chaos of laundry, a small bit of beauty in my laundry room.
Oh my goodness. I know exactly what you mean. When I had four little ones (the last two came quite a bit later), I used to separate all the Legos into different bins based on color. I would spend HOURS doing this, only to have it all mixed up a day later because, duh, my kids wanted to play with the Legos, not organize them. But it was so soothing for me.
Yes! So soothing. It's like there is so much chaos in the house I cannot possibly keep it all tidy. I can't keep us on a reasonable schedule. But I can sort these bins of toys and make them tidy and have at least one thing be neat. But it was more than that, the process itself was so soothing.
Yes, the process makes me so happy. I do the same thing with our pantry, our books, my collections of printed out copies of poems…
I am with Nelly and Mary on this one. No words... 🖤
Thank you so much, Fotini 💛.
Isn’t it funny, the way we can turn to mundane tasks to order our inner worlds just enough to cope… life’s just too much sometimes.
YES! Another one is taking all the books off the shelves and rearranging them. I did this over Christmas break for my kids’ books. It felt so good to still be close to the kids while they were working stuff nearby, while also boxing up outgrown books and saying goodbye to the eras those books represented.
I have got that goosebumps thing I very occasionally get when reading something with this one Margaret. I am actually a bit stumped for words other than thank you for sharing it
Thank you for opening up the way to this poem, Nelly 💛. And seriously, you can’t give a better compliment than goosebumps (I know I already said that but I’m saying it again 💛.)
I so appreciate the juxtaposition of the known with the unknown. Controlled versus uncontrollable. Macro versus micro. Bravo! 👏🏻
Thank you so much, Angela. You get it! Macro versus micro is a perfect way to put it.
Great job on a painful thing.
Thank you, Weston.
So much feeling and so many unspoken stories, shaped and contained in these lines, Margaret Ann. There are different "voices" you use in your writing and sometimes more than one voice shows up in the same poem and that's an interesting conversation; a poem like this, though, where the voice is one voice all the way through, is incredibly powerful.
Thank you, Elizabeth 💛. That means a lot to me.
Some hugs to load into the dishwasher too 💛
Thank you, Treasa 💛.
This is so impactful. I got goosebumps as well.
Thank you, A 💛💛💛
So much to relate with in this poem. Definitely gonna see where this prompt takes me.
I’m glad it felt relatable, MK. I’d love to see where you go with this prompt. @Nelly Bryce has a gift for finding prompts that can go in so many directions.
I think of Brother Lawrence....Practicing the Presence.....while doing dishes. Love!
Thank you, Mom! Sometimes I do put on headphones and listen to a book or music I love too. I don’t always love being alone with my thoughts 🤪.
@Nelly Bryce is right about the goose bumps!
Thank you so much, Mary 💛.