Talking about one’s thought process is always interesting. Some people process ideas by talking through them, others by quiet contemplation. Sometimes I’m a little bit of both. I’ll talk through a plot point when I’m stuck, but more often, I’ll mull it over to myself.
People often refer to me as a quiet person. I remember back
in my undergrad, during my senior year, I gave a presentation to a class, and
afterward my professor told me that was the most she had heard me speak during
my entire time at college. Oh yeah, she was also my advisor. It surprised me
because I saw my thoughts as being incredibly loud and had forgotten
that I’m the only one who processes them.
I didn’t really discuss things in class, until I went on to
study my masters. Now I’m a teacher, and I have quiet students who don’t want
to break out of their shell. Here’s to the quiet thinkers.
Circuit Board Quilt
stop
i can’t get it to
stop
these pulses that
go on
and on like a
circuit board
that’s never
switched off
how do all the
wires work?
amazing that
somebody came up with them
and could store
ideas on something so small,
the accumulation
of technology
built up over
time
history
that reminds me i
need to remember to make a lesson plan
and maybe eat
lunch before 3pm
for a change
change—it’s
easier to do the math in my head
when i’m thinking
of money,
but honestly i
miss european currency
where it wasn’t
all quarters
and they actually
had a twenty-cent piece,
and another coin
for a pound or two euro
or maybe my mind
is more like a
quilt
with threads
intertwined
one on top of
another
on top of another
until I can’t see
the pattern
but it’s as if
everything is connected
it’s been a while
since i made my first and only quilt
maybe i should
pick up sewing again
i’ve heard it
said
that a man’s mind
holds compartments,
boxes if you
will,
one of which
contains nothing—
the nothing box—
where they simply
exist
a man’s mind, who
am I kidding?
my sister says
she has one, a nothing box
but in my mind,
where would all
the energy go?
i’ve learned to
deal
with long
stretches of no activity
boredom some
might call it—
i’d be lying if I
didn’t agree—
but i’ve found a
way to dream up stories
while sorting
shelves,
listening to
music and humming along,
all the while
ready to shuffle the cards
mid-song to have
a conversation instead
i can pick up
where i left off
later
halfway through a
stich
or maybe i’ll use
my stitch remover—humility tool—
and start something altogether new
***
Let’s chat! What did you think of the poem? What’s your
thought process like?
Similar posts: Do Not Dissect This Poem, Writing a Poem, and Thoughts of Place
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