More From The Ongoing Poem Series About The Winter of 2006, Today on Poetry Thursday

February 18, 2006
Yesterday I worked from home

reading galleys in my pajamas all day
which was quite pleasant
And at the end of the day
when my work was done

I found myself sitting on the closet floor
super-gluing errant dark and light green buttons
back onto their respective
homemade hairclips

This in turn clearly required me
to empty the entire contents of the button jar
out onto the floor and then to sort the buttons
into a fan-shaped pattern by size shape and color

None of this was exactly what you would call
volitional
In spite or indeed perhaps because of that fact
it was deeply satisfying

I really do love buttons
I never can explain in words
the passion of satisfaction
that certain kinds of objects

(in addition to buttons:
glass jars and floral tablecloths
grosgrain ribbon and ceramic mixing bowls
eggs and cardboard egg cartons)

give to me
But it is real
and true
and right

It mystifies me why more people don’t talk about this phenomenon
though presumably their touchstone objects would be different
Is it because they don’t feel it?
Or do they just not have the words for it either?


image source is here