But You Recognize It

But You Recognize It

This is new,
the light is new.
Water tells you a new story
and you are compelled
to kick the puddles from land to sky
which have crossed the room
from sky to land.
The fields are new.
Baby fawns are new.
Elderly deer in their twenties are new
with halos of new invisible antlers.
The neighbors are new
with new unscuffed welcome mats.
Handcuffs are new
and they do not hurt
but they restrain with steely strength
and in the absence of painful wrists
prisoners can better reflect on their actions.
Murphy beds are new.
An engineer just thought of a new kind
of Murphy bed that is hitched
to a trap door in the floor.
The elementary school: new.
The road leading there: new.
New trees on either side of the road
rising up like flying buttresses
to show you a new cathedral
that you can inspire their builder to envision
by touching them once.
New earthquakes, new flash floods,
new tornadoes with old names so we feel
we know them better,
new birthday parties, new cake,
new voice in your own throat,
new blood.
The perfect dinosaur skeleton is new,
complete, a side-sleeper in the dig site.
Sleep is new.
New images are served to you
as dreams, new glasses
to gulp from, new exuberant thirst.

The Storialist Turns Three

Three years ago, I started The Storialist. Since then, I've been posting poems (and multimedia experiments!) every weekday. Here's The Storialist on July 20 in:
2008
2009
2010

You probably know by now that I am rather sentimental. For today's Storialist-linked artist, I revisited an early muse.

I feel so lucky that you are reading this--more than ever, I'm so appreciative of my readers, the artists and writers I've met here (look at my updated blogroll to see some of their work!), my friends, my family. Thank you to everyone in my daily life who asks about my writing or reads my work or encourages me (especially you, oh husband o'mine!).

To anyone who is considering writing or making art: Yes. Start right now.
To anyone who is creative and shares what they make with the world: Yes. More, please!

Thank you. Yes, you. You inspire me.