Daily by Naomi Shihab Nye



Landscape at Le Pouldu--The Isolated House by Paul Gauguin

 Daily

These shriveled seeds we plant,
corn kernel, dried bean,
poke into loosened soil,
cover over with measured fingertips
These T-shirts we fold into
perfect white squares
These tortillas we slice and fry to crisp strips
This rich egg scrambled in a gray clay bowl
This bed whose covers I straighten
smoothing edges till blue quilt fits brown blanket
and nothing hangs out
This envelope I address
so the name balances like a cloud
in the center of sky
This page I type and retype
This table I dust till the scarred wood shines
This bundle of clothes I wash and hang and wash again
like flags we share, a country so close
no one needs to name it
The days are nouns:  touch them
The hands are churches that worship the world


 ~ Naomi Shihab Nye ~

(The Words Under the Words)


Comments

  1. thank you for leading me back
    across the sacred plane of daily life.
    thank you for words that catch in my heart
    like the first birds of spring...
    like white hope and believing.
    where suddenly
    home is a cathedral
    of peace and possibilities.
    thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you rebecca for these lovely words, a poem in themselves.
    xoxo,
    Noelle

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE THAT POEM! That last line is the best! I have read a couple of her poems and I love them. Thank you for the delightful discovery! :) love

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed this very much. Super choice of picture too.

    All the best, Boonie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful poem and nice simple words too.

    Loved the art work of a quiet busy country life as opposed to the hustle and bustle.

    Great work!!

    P.S cant take my eyes off your header!! Marvellous!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been thinking that I should add her to my poetry collection. Maybe it's time for a trip to the poetry bookstore in Seattle. Maybe tomorrow, when I'm invited to a little party at the new home of my dear friend's daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you everyone for your lovely comments. Naomi Shihab Nye is a favorite of mine. She is Palestinian-American and actually lived in Ramallah during her high school years. Here is her bio http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/174.
    Thanks Nanka, I love Gaugin as well!
    xo,
    Noelle

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts