The Notebook
The small notebook languished
at the bottom of a dark drawer
its pages filled with
lists of vegetables, partial poems
Ingredients lists for salads and stews
long since cooked and eaten
but not necessarily forgotten
Poem bits inspired late at night
by verses careening through
the writer’s mind in wakefulness
Ideas for the next great
inspirational Christian bestseller
scribbled in haste at a stoplight
Prayers for loved ones
some long gone
others still in need of those
languishing prayers
_______________________________
The Tuesday Poetics prompt at dVerse Poets Pub today calls for writing a poem that includes one line from the poem Burning the Old Year by Naomi Shihab Nye. I was going to wait until tomorrow to write this so it could be my Lenten poem for tomorrow, but after reading Nye’s poem I couldn’t get this poem out of my head. I chose the line “lists of vegetables, partial poems.” So here it is, an extra for today.
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Oh.. prayer..
a gift that
works..
for those
who Believe..:)
That bit about some who are still in need of our prayers…and the list being in the bottom of a drawer…too true! Your chosen line was one that I debated using, but I couldn’t find the right way to use it. You did brilliantly with it.
Yes! I have bits and pieces of life in notebooks scattered around the house. Nice work!
All bits and pieces make a life if put together the right way. Or in our case, the write way! I love this, Linda!
That’s cute! Thanks.
Scrips & scraps of life. Very familiar.
Have you read The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing? Stunning work.
I have not. I will check it out. Thanks.
I am somewhat nosey about the ways of other writers and this made your already great poem even more satisfying!
It is interesting how different and yet how alike writers are.
Isn’t it?
I have some of those in my drawer. Someday I’ll throw them out but not yet think. Thoughtful poem
Intriguing peek into your notebook, Linda – I wonder what all of our notebooks would look like. Maybe that could be an idea for a future prompt? It’s a glimpse into a mind, heart and life, isn’t it?
This notebook is really a conglomeration of all the notebooks I’ve written in. The reality is that I tend to compartmentalize my notebooks.
I tried to do that, but found I was mixing them up…
Yes that’s how we it could look. What a perfect view into your notebook..
I loved the peek into your Notebook, Linda, and a peek into your heart.
A wonderful write, and cool choice of words from the prompt poem.
Lovely poem !
I agree this is a great use of the line! Your poem is a kind of list poem but with more soul to it.
I am glad you wrote an extra poem for today, Linda; and you may be the ONLY poet who chose that particular line. And, yes, so many ideas go through one’s mind. And indeed so many prayers!
What a great notebook ..filled with little bits of life!
I was particularly moved with your closing stanza 🙂
Thanks. There are many things in those old notebooks we writers keep, but those languishing prayers are the ones we need to hang onto. Peace, Linda
When a poem hits you, it will haunt you till you sit with it. I’m glad you did. You can always read others later. I think we are both on Pacific Time so we usually are behind everyone anyway.
Those notebooks so full of peeks into another life mean so much. This is the first I’ve read that used that line and I’m so glad you chose it.
Thanks. I haven’t had time to read yet. I shouldn’t have even taken work time to write this, but it wouldn’t let me concentrate on what needed to get done today. I’m looking forward to seeing what others have written.