Last week Michelle Barnes interviewed Douglas Florian who challenged poets to write a poem about nothing. On Saturday, I had a bunch of nothing much going on and I read a poem by Barbara Crooker that was about nothing and the joy of a day when nothing goes wrong. I stole a line and off I went.
with a borrowed line from Barbara Crooker, “Ordinary Life” in The Woman in this Poem selected by Georgia Heard.
This was a day when nothing happened.
I swept the floor.
Leaves piled with swirly
dust–not many left on trees
this winter day, but the sun
shone through a break in the clouds
making my gathering glisten.
I stopped to switch laundry
pulled long sleeves from the dryer.
Soft warmth brushed my cheek.
The dryer hummed a rhythm.
Time enough for another cup of coffee,
another deep breath of nothing happening.
I promised God to be present.
He said, “It’s all in the way you look at things.”
So I swept
words into a small pile
on a page
where nothing much was happening.
–Margaret Simon
Positively gorgeous, Margaret! Thanks for sharing this deep breath and small, swept pile.
So lovely, Margaret. that sweeping words into a small pile is just right!
How very zen of you Miss Margaret. You have inspired me with your nothing.
Line lengths on this poem are perfect for the slow, lazy, nothing day. Well done.
It may be a poem about nothing, but your words are beautiful. It reminds me of Kimer’s post about String too short to be saved.
Lovely, Margaret!
I like that glistening gathering, soft warmth, and small pile of words. Nice imagery! Sometimes nothing can be very comforting.
Look at the treasure you found doing housework! Maybe I’ll have to dust more often! Your small pile of words is beautiful, Margaret.
Funny. I actually left the swept pile in the middle of the floor while I rushed to get the poem down. Never know where you will find the muse.
Beautiful! I’m working on that being present thing – it’s not easy.
Bam. Ending wraps back around to the beginning, reader sighs with satisfaction.
I’m laughing at how satisfying a critique the word “Bam” is. Thanks.
That Mary Lee has a way with words, doesn’t she–as do you, my friend. You’ve written a sweet poem of appreciation! (By the way, I like your bottle tree!)
Margaret, I enjoyed your little poem about a nothing day. The last two stanza’s hit home with me because of the image of being present and the ordinary task of sweeping that alludes to the art of writing. Nothing into something-nice!
I love the pace! It makes me want to slow down and be present to embrace the nothing.
Margaret, I love this poem and your small pile of words at the end, especially! Being present is about this exactly, isn’t it? If we are present, we realize nothing is ever really nothing…. xo
The best things are written about nothing happening. Probably because we are so familiar with it.
“another deep breath of nothing happening.”
-Julieanne
This type of day is my favorite — puttering around doing “nothing” but the stuff of life and poetry, the real stuff of life. 🙂 xoxo Lovely, Margaret! Thanks also for the discussion of Big Magic. I haven’t heard of Voxer — keep me posted on developments!
Sweeping words on a pile – that made me smile and close my eyes for a moment – and the feeling of being present, always. What a gift. What blessing.