Writing is my salvation. If I didn’t write, what would I do? — Maxine Kumin
I heard a poem by Maxine Kumin last week and I have not been able to get it out of my head. It is the epitome of summer, and I just want to immerse myself in it…and never leave. It was the balm I needed to get through the week. I had not heard of Maxine Kumin so I did some Googling and discovered the quote above. I am nodding my head in agreement, writing keeps me sane these days. It is a bit scary, but I have almost filled my Pandemic Journal…and I am debating with myself; do I keep going or stop?
Today I want to dwell on the goodness that this poem holds:
Appetite by Maxine Kumin
I eat these
wild red raspberries
still warm from the sun
and smelling faintly of jewel weed
in memory of my father
tucking the napkin
under his chin and bending
over an ironstone bowl
of the bright drupelets
awash in cream
my father
with the sigh of a man
who has seen all and been redeemed
said time after time
as he lifted his spoon
men kill for this.
May your Monday be awash with good things.
Photo by Jenna Hamra from Pexels
I was just looking at my journal last night and thinking that I’ll soon need a new one. I don’t write extensively every day, but I am very quickly using up those pages! It’s been a really useful practice for me. I’m not sure that I will keep writing every day indefinitely, but the practice of regularly writing in my journal has been firmly reestablished.
That poem! As soon as I’m done here I’m going to click that Maxine Kumin link. Anybody who can write such a beautifully evocative poem as that is someone I need to read more from. Thank you Kat, for sharing something that brings goodness to my Monday!
writing and creating are two things that fill my joy bucket but I push them aside (especially the painting) for what I think is more important. This week is me changing the importance of my days. Love the poem!
Maxine Kumin is a favorite of mine and you picked a fabulous poem to share!
Well I can honestly say I didn’t see that last line coming! I’ll be taking a look at Maxine Kumin as well. Thanks Kat!
I love it although I don’t know about that last line. I do want berries now, though!
Beautiful poem! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing it.
Maxine Kumin is a favorite of mine. I think she must have been a woman with a wicked good sense of humor.
Thanks for sharing the poem! It’s lovely. The last line made me laugh, but I don’t know if it was supposed to. (!)
I’m glad you’re finding relief in your pandemic journal. I know that sometimes it’s hard to recognize if journaling is hurting or helping, which is why there are periods when I question its usefulness in my own life. I start feeling that way when I’m especially tired and need some other shift in my life… and then the journaling finds its way back to me somehow. Listen to yourself and what your soul needs – if you decide to step away from journaling, then your notebooks will still be there for you when you’re ready for them.
Hmm…If you’ve almost filled that journal, it sounds to be like you’ve ALREADY made the decision 🙂
What a lovely poem, Kat, thank you! I stopped my pandemic journal on May 31 and have found myself missing it … I think I’ve been less productive, less joyful and less many things since I stopped. Of course ALL of those emotions could be because of everything else that’s going on. and I have kept up my regular daily journal … and I’m still tracking the days, and the case/death counts for my county … I guess I only sort of gave up the pandemic journal 😉