Today is Poem In Your Pocket Day, when people who love poetry carry poems in their pockets to share with their friends, but I have a big problem: no pockets. Since I carry my keys everywhere, I used an alligator clip to attach a poem to my key ring, which will serve as surrogate pocket for today only.
The poem in my surrogate pocket is Denise Levertov's "Man Wearing Bird," one of my favorites because of the wonderful image of the man standing on the lawn of the insane asylum with a pigeon on his head: "This is my pigeon / and I its prophet." The man may be unhinged, but he has a sense of his purpose--a purpose not unlike that of the poet: "I am a column, a pillar of / / righteousness, upholding / mystery...."
Today I'll be upholding mystery in my surrogate pocket. This is my pocket and I its prophet....
4 comments:
How do you live without pockets?
If I didn't have them, there would be a hole in my life.
You clearly haven't tried shopping for women's clothes lately, have you? Try it. Pockets on women's clothes tend to be absent or so small they're virtually useless.
I have an autumn complexion, and this year's spring palette is a horror for me.
I'll stick with my solid-color polos and shorts-of-many-pockets.
Let's see, right now I'm carrying: phone, smallet, keys (with flashlight and dog whistle), Swiss Army knife and money clip. I occasionally add a notepad and pen, and a small paperback book.
I try not to leave home without me.
But are you carrying a poem?
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