Monday, July 29, 2013

Poem of the Week - Home Repairs

Even though summer's pace seems to be at full gallop, there has been some great writing going on. Recently, I found this gem in the Poetry Pantry, written by Scott Matthews at A Mystical Path. Existentialism in the guise of a Home Depot holy man. Cool concept!




Home Repairs

They come,
Seeking answers
To scratch paper sketches;
Porches, playrooms
Pantries and problems;
Resultant conundrums of a material world.
Expecting-
High pressure tactics,
Pushy sales person
Running up tickets,
And, of course, technical expertise.
What they don’t expect,
Is a Home Depot holy man.
An orange apron-ed mystic,
Offering solutions to drywall dilemmas.
Who studies the cracks in foundations,
Listens to camouflage
overlying faint cries of despair.
And hears-
How do I build a stairway of sincerity?
Tall as a tower, shining steps rising
Above the crippling contrariness of my life?
What manner of steel is so stain-less,
To weather the corrosion of my debaucheries,
To anchor my heals in righteous construction,
So Heaven someday may be within reach?
What padding can be so resilient,
To keep disappointment from scorching my ass,
Dragged through the coals of work-a-day world?
Flat on my bum, one foot entangled,
Eternally caught in the crux
Of life’s bottom rung?
And
Where do I find the cheapest fix,
To patch this hole in my heart,
Out through which my humanity bleeds?
Welcome to the Depot, he replies.
Mirrors, aisle seven.
Such a clever poem. I so love how "to patch this hole in my heart, out through which my humanity bleeds?" and the ironic response of the closing lines. 

Do check out Scott's blog. Fans of werewolf stories will enjoy excerpts from Scott's writing in this genre. Thanks, Scott, for your participation at Poets United. We appreciate you!


21 comments:

  1. Clever and so much more... great choice, Sherry.

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  2. Great poem, Scott. I love how the literal solutions to home repair become figurative towards the end of the poem. The last line is a killer.

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  3. I am sincerely touched by your kind remarks and attention. As I continue to find my way around wordpress, I am thrilled and inspired to find so many striving to express themselves through poetry. It is a medium I adore and am always pleased to share. Thank you for this Sherry, many thanks indeed.

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    Replies
    1. You are most welcome, Scott. Happy to shine a little light your way :)

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  4. nice...remember reading this one myself....nice one scott...great close on the mirror...esp after that question....

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    1. A second read, you truly are a friend, thanks Brian!

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  5. Oh this poem is a winner! I loved it when I first read it and appreciate it even moreso now. Good choice, Sherry. Just wonderful down-to-earth poem, Scott.

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    1. Thank you Mary for taking the time to read even once and then comment. I am pleased that you enjoyed it!

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  6. Replies
    1. Thank you Susan and I believe we all already possess the answers we need. Finding them depends on the intensity with which we are willing to look! At least that's my take on things.

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  7. Wonderful-I love the humanity you shared!
    Off to Home Depot
    ;D

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  8. While working there, I once had a lady ask me how to hang a concrete bird-bath from her living room wall. I thought about it for a moment and asked what kind of birds she kept in her house. "None." She relied, "I have cats." People share the darnedest things, don't they?

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  9. Thank you Vandana!

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  10. Thank you Ella, and watch out for the old men in orange aprons, they are notorious for sharing long-winded stories!

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  11. wonderfully written, witty and pragmatically grounded referencing a favorite shopping place.Nice job Scott and Gracias mi amiga, Sherry.

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  12. Oh Scott, the birdbath on the wall request just made my day!!!!

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    1. You do get all kinds of questions!

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  13. Oh yes, good stuff Sherry! I have recently become aware of Scott's poetry blog and do indeed appreciate it.

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