Disinter Me

Undated notecard whisper shouted to me
from the depth of my purse
where I unearthed it from the cast
off pencils with the tips broken off
and the spare change and tokens
from John's Incredible Pizza

Blue-lined container with a word
collection splattered acrossed it

"I want time alone so I meander
down the street, noticing
on my the way to my destination,

penny's shiny copper
colored face calling out to me.
"It is embedded in aged tar and
sadly, I realize there is
nothing I can do in this
here-and-now to release it.

Instead, I stand still and take
a deep breath, letting
it out slowly:

my quiet, one-on-one memorial
service for a penny that once
rode in and out of people's pockets,
wallets and change drawers."

The tattered note card exhales
satisfied for the attention
though it asks a final question
of me, silly human, holding
such blue-lined not quite paper
not quite cardboard between my
thumb and index finger -

"How times in my life have I been
 that penny and in that moment when
I held a memorial service for the
me that was or the me I thought
I should be, someone reached
out and helped me
disinter myself?

This poem was written as a part of ReadWritePoem's current Mini-Challenge.

 

Comments

[Barbara Young]

As someone who reaches for shiny things on the sidewalk, I especially appreciate that twist of insight.

[carolee]

first: i love the title for your series -- disinter. it may be my favorite choice.

and then! that it's a digging in your purse is a great twist.

thanks for writing with us on the challenge!

[sarah]

I like this a lot.

[Mark]

This is so well done. I was hooked with the first lines...