Tiny keyboard bearing the massive reverie of the past—
press one button, we're carried away on a country road,
marching with saints, leaving the Red River Valley...
here is every holiday you hated, every hard time,
each steamy summer wish. You closed your eyes
in the wooden stairwell, leaning your head against the wall,
knowing a bigger world loomed. It's still out there,
and it's tucked in this keyboard too,
now we are an organ, now we are an oboe,
now we are young or ancient,
now we are smelling wallpaper in the house
our grandfather sold with every cabinet,
table and doily included,
but we are still adrift, floating,
thrum-full of longing layers of sound.
There is a sweet sound of music in the poet's thoughts, which seem to be lacking in the lines of the poem.
we are still adrift, floating, thrum-full of longing layers of sound. such a fine poem. tony
Dress! ! To address! ! ! ! And to press one button; With the muse of the Keyboard. Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
'now we are an organ, now we are an oboe, now we are young or ancient, now we are smelling wallpaper in the house' - Lines that I loved. a poem that sounds like a song.
in tired reverie of life - You closed your eyes in the wooden stairwell, leaning your head against the wall, knowing a bigger world loomed/// interesting song
Song book says alot about life... Very good poem there................
as she usually does, naomi gives us a good measure of satisfying details. i especially like knowing a bigger world loomed and thrum-full. this is a good variation on writing down what an object summons for us, another example where we see that things can be more than just things. -gk
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A fine poem by Naomi Shihab Nye.......