01 November 2020

A Poem for a November Sunday

Today is November 1, which means it's the start of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for 2020.  For the last couple of years, I've given it a try, and been successful posting something every day.  So I figured I'd try again this year.  I'm not promising anything, but I do like trying this - it's a good challenge to myself.  But just so you know, it may well mean that you'll get what you get, if you know what I mean!

Today I'm sharing a poem that a friend posted the other day on Facebook that I just really really like.  I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Good Bones, by Maggie Smith

Life is short, though I keep this from my children.
Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine
in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways,
a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways
I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least
fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative
estimate, though I keep this from my children.
For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird.
For every loved child, a child broken, bagged,
sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world
is at least half terrible, and for every kind
stranger, there is one who would break you,
though I keep this from my children. I am trying
to sell them the world. Any decent realtor,
walking you through a real shithole, chirps on
about good bones: This place could be beautiful,
right? You could make this place beautiful.

6 comments:

Martha said...

Wow, that poem is something else! I'm so glad you posted that today starts NaBloPoMo. I always participated back in the good old days of blogging. I posted today so I think I will join you in giving it a try just for old times sake :)

Araignee said...

That really struck me in all the right places. Between the pandemic misery and the time change I'm in a weird state of mind today. At 5 pm I was ready to head to bed.

sprite said...

Oh, I like that...

Dee said...

Sadly, you can't keep it from your children forever.

Can we change it? Most of me says no, but a little glimmer says ...maybe.

Kym said...

I love Maggie Smith's poems! Good luck with NaMoBloPo, Bridget. I'll look forward to reading along. XO

Nance said...

I love the raw honesty of this poem. I'm so glad you posted it here.

I think a lot of change has occurred this year--and this year has been terrible.