Tuesday, April 15, 2008

waiting for the plumber

One could wish for a day that was carbonated,
words rising effervescently, even effortlessly
to the top, bubbles of hope bursting on the
surface. Today is not that day; nor yesterday.
I’m waiting for the plumber to come find the
block on our main drain, somewhere between
here and the street, underneath the growing
grass and the nascent hasta, underground
where the words are trapped in the sludge,
unable to bore their way to the surface, or to
flow through to the drain under the street.

One would think, in these days so full of
friends and family and meaning, the real
struggle would be to keep the words from
coming; how could I keep from writing?
My life goes on, breakless and brakeless,
trading exhaustion for expression, even as
my heart fills up and overflows. My body
stops and my mind races on; my brain
finally tires and I toss and turn. Be still,
I say, but I can’t. Instead, I pace the house
looking for words, waiting for the plumber.


Peace,
Milton

3 comments:

Unknown said...

One of your best poems.
Beautiful.
Thanks....I think you are finding your voice.
Everyday beauty.
Profound simplicity.
Cool.

Anonymous said...

Your words led me back to John Milton's On His Blindness. Thank you for your poem.

Real Live Preacher said...

And what do you know, turns out the words did flow to the surface. Kind of a paradox, huh?

Little birdie told me I might see you in August????