Wednesday, March 03, 2010

where memories lay, unordered but so bright

F R O M   H E R E   TO   T H E R E
Naomi Shihab Nye

Everything need readiness,
baskets emptied,
gladiolus spear placed in
a glass.

Before you begin,
before you let yourself move,
from here to there,
you attend to little things,
a cat's mouth open and crying,
a thin parade of ants
along the sill.

Something in the way we are made
wants order. Wants three pillows
lined across the head of the bed,
wants porches swept and shades raised.

Before we begin. Before we head into
those secret rooms no one else
has cleaned for years,
where memories rest in heaps,
without cabinets,
and have only to be touched lightly
to shine.

{ Poetry Wednesday }

5 comments:

Jenny said...

Oh my goodness. I love this poem. Totally beautiful. I especially love the part about "Before you begin, before you let yourself move from here to there, you attend to little things..." I am longing to bring this order to my own as well. I am so thrilled both kids will be away tonight so that I will have a fighting chance!

A M B E R said...

Jenny, I knew you would love it. It reminds me of getting coffee in the morning, the slow way I wake up, staring out the window, feeding Ike. And the last stanza seems to be about working in some creative way--writing, for example. Just lovely.

Molly Sabourin said...

I have just only recently realized (I am a very slow learner) the spiritual, emotional, even intellectual importance of keeping small routines/rituals throughout my day. "Attending to little things," brings me hope. Thanks for sharing this poem (and the beautiful photo)! I found it quite calming.

Calming is my favorite.

Beth said...

I love the line, "Something within us wants order." The three pillows lined across the bed makes me giggle because I do indeed have three pillows and have spent more than a couple minutes attempting to arrange them so they are just right, which is really so ridiculous and I even realize the silliness even as I do it but right now in my life, when I experience days in which my Wonder Twins toss potatoes across the room at me while grinning with cinnamon smeared faces, I imagine that if I can get those three pillows in line somehow, everything else will be all right. Thanks for your post!

Jenny said...

Beth & Molly, I am so glad that you are getting to know Amber through Poetry Wednesday. Is she not totally amazing? I am always astonished to have a friend like her. I totally love her brave and beautiful blog, too.