Undog Places
By Steven Withrow
In the very undog places of the house,
Those uncat spots unfit for a layabout mouse,
You find a hidden hitch that once dropped loose
From a model switching yard—a red caboose
That must have come uncoupled from its coach—
And if you hope to hold it, don’t approach
Too eagerly, or if you do, pretend
You’re merely kneeling there snooping for a friend.
In the very unbed places where you sleep,
Those still unpillowed spaces where you keep
Your treasure trove of marbles underneath
A cardboard box that guards your baby teeth,
What clovers you unearth on second look!
Or tucked in a book atop another book—
A clockwork heart—and part of you unthinks
The thing that undid the Riddle of the Sphinx.
©2011 Steven Withrow, all rights reserved
5 comments:
I love unwinding (p-un intended) the way the backstory plays out in the poem! Very fun. Off to look for more f-un!!
I love this. It bears reading and rereading and unreading and unthinking and unlocking all its delicious quirky imagery. Quite a lost-and-found of a poem. Thanks, Steven.
I absolutely enjoy the playfulness in the language. Dancing words. =) Lyrical.
I always admire your turns of phrase and imagery, Steven. Baby teeth, marbles, uncat...so real!
This is why I'm looking forward to teaching kindergarten, and why I'm contemplating a weekly poetry challenge called Overheard in Kindergarten. "the very unbed places where you sleep" is the perfect extension of your daughter's concept. Lovely.
nb: I read "clovers" as a verb at first!
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