a poet’s notebook

Hopscotch

Found at Via Negativa, a challenge from Elck to tell a story in one sentence, without commas. Some of my favorites have participated in this so far:  frizzylogic, Laughing ~ KneesNomen est Numen, Velveteen Rabbi, and Natalie of Blaugustine

I have a poem that is all one sentence, but has line and stanza breaks
— is this cheating, I wonder?  This is one of my earliest poems,
and is not very ‘sophisticated.’  I’m putting it below the fold,
as it is stretches out long.

hopscotch

early in
the silent
morning

the neighborhood
is sleeping

the air belongs
to only me

sneakers snap
one-two-three

soon
grownups
will be up
and lights
will come on
and Grandma
will make
morning sounds
in the kitchen

plates
against
each other
and pans
on burners
sound different
for breakfast
than for supper

each
morning
sound
distinct
from every other
and the sound
of people
muffled
moving
in their beds
low voices
sounding loud
in the morning
early

soon
she will go
to wake me up
and see
I am not
in my bed

she will see
the open window
and smile
and come out
on the porch

she will
stand
and watch me
she will stand
quiet
in the morning
early
moment

and then
she will call to me
call to me
to come in

and I will

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One response to “Hopscotch”

  1. Kate S. Avatar

    I loved this! Little gurl…
    Took me right back to my childhood and grandma cooking breakfast in the kitchen. My goodness. I’m going to go make some pancakes, right now.

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