I suppose some people find help and meaning and roots in long paragraphs about ideas, but for me, there is nothing like a tidy story about a little thing to unzip the whole world. Thank you for this.
It’s probably my favorite poem. I wrote a piece that included it, along with a story of my own stepson but I can’t find it. Don’t remember where I put it. Probably Facebook unfortunately.
I suppose some people find help and meaning and roots in long paragraphs about ideas, but for me, there is nothing like a tidy story about a little thing to unzip the whole world. Thank you for this.
This makes me think of the Paul Hostovsky poem “Coconut.”
Thanks, David. I'll have to check it out.
Bear with me I
want to tell you
something about
happiness
it’s hard to get at
but the thing is
I wasn’t looking
I was looking
somewhere else
when my son found it
in the fruit section
and came running
holding it out
in his small hands
asking me what
it was and could we
keep it it only
cost 99 cents
hairy and brown
hard as a rock
and something swishing
around inside
and what on earth
and where on earth
and this was happiness
this little ball
of interest beating
inside his chest
this interestedness
beaming out
from his face pleading
happiness
and because I wasn’t
happy I said
to put it back
because I didn’t want it
because we didn’t need it
and because he was happy
he started to cry
right there in aisle
five so when we
got it home we
put it in the middle
of the kitchen table
and sat on either
side of it and began
to consider how
to get inside of it
I love that.
It’s been interesting watching these kids grow up and you fall apart, from afar. :)
It’s probably my favorite poem. I wrote a piece that included it, along with a story of my own stepson but I can’t find it. Don’t remember where I put it. Probably Facebook unfortunately.