The Poetry Marathon

Plans I have

Time I have

Resources I have

Ideas I have

Support I have

But whether or not this crazy dream of mine

Will ever come to fruition

Only time will tell

Dear armadillo,

Root around in the branches all you want

Dig up any grubs, worms, or whatever it is you eat

But please do not succumb to your suicidal tendencies

And throw yourself under the wheels of my car in my own driveway

I don’t think I could stand starting the day with killing a harmless armadillo

Dear spiders,

Build your webs in the corners

Catch any critters that get in

But please do not build your webs in my bathtub

If you persist in doing this,

I will persist in turning on the shower head and rousting you out of there

So please, do us both a favor, and keep to the corners

Dear 1890s farmhouse,

Forgive my sudden sprints through the hallway at night

I still suffer from a fear of the dark

Forgive my slow invasion

As I determine where everything should be

Forgive my longing looks

I find I’m slowly falling in love with you

Dear country road,

I am learning your curves and dips

I am learning to watch for deer

I am getting used to your appearance in fog

In rain

In daylight

And deep night

Please be patient with me and let me memorize your ways

Dear me,

Be patient

Take your time

Learn this place

And breathe

You would love it

You would love this place

You would love this time

You would love how I look right now

You would love how I am smiling

You would love how I would lean into you

Standing on the porch

You would love the way this house looks

You would love the view out the window

You would love it

If you were here

I cut an onion

And I nearly cried

Not because I was cutting onions, mind you

But I heard the sound echo

Through my new big kitchen

I felt space around me

That I never had in my previous tiny kitchen

And in that moment

When the knife clicked against the cutting board

I heard her

That girl I used to be

The girl I was ten years ago

The girl who was happy

The girl I’ve been trying to find for the last five months

And I finally found her

In a kitchen

Cutting an onion

And I nearly cried

But not because I was cutting onions