Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Floorboards, A Poem

Because it's National Poetry Month, I thought I should write some poems. But not just any poems — I wanted to write something that fulfilled a need.

So I turned to Twitter and Facebook and asked for subjects that were underrepresented in poetry, promising to see what I could do.

I got some interesting responses. Mandy Collins (@CollinsMandy) suggested, among other things, floorboards. So here goes:

I bore four floorboards up four floors,
Navigating turns and doors.
When I found they didn't fit
I got so mad I nearly quit.

I bore four floorboards down four floors,
Navigating turns and doors.
I put them in my Cadillac,
Determined now to take them back.

I bore four floorboards to the store.
The returns clerk was such a boor!
I had to make him realize
I need floorboards just my size.

They took four floorboards at the store
And gave me back four floorboards more.
I bore them to my Cadillac,
The pain now growing in my back.

I bore four floorboards up four floors,
Navigating turns and doors.
The new floorboards still didn't fit.
My back was sore, so I just quit.

My shoulders hurt; my back was sore.
This job had drained me to the core.
I couldn't take it anymore!
That's why I live without a floor.



What other things have been neglected,
Ignored by poets, or rejected?
Let me know
In the comments below.