Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Patience of Ordinary Things by Pat Schneider

In my kitchen window...


The Patience of Ordinary Things
by Pat Schneider

It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they're supposed to be.
I've been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?

from 'Another River: New and Selected Poems'

10 comments:

ds said...

Lovely lovely poem. I hadn't heard of Pat Schneider; will look for her. Your still-life photograph is perfect with the poem, and on its own. Happy Tuesday, Marion!

RNSANE said...

Of course, we take all of these things for granted. How beautifully Pat Schneider put all this into words.

Kelly said...

I find this poem and your photo to both be very peaceful. Very nice!

Serena said...

It's a wonderful poem, and I love your kitchen window photo. There's such a sense of serenity about it. Beautiful!
xox

Ben Ditty said...

Your house must be amazing!

Margaret Pangert said...

This is a wonderful meditation, quiets the mind. Like a Zen garden. I love the cobalt blue vase and the ripening tomatoes... another kind of Zen, I think. xo

erin said...

this, the scaffolding behind everything. wonderfully simple and true.

perfect shot, marion. my mouth is watering for those tiny tims.

xo
erin

Wine and Words said...

The generosity of windows. I take them for granted here on the low floors of everything. But I've just been to San Francisco, sleeping 15 stories off the ground. I pull back the shades to reveal what should be a glorious view. But the windows are too high to wash with any regularity. I can see no detail through the dirt.

I loved that little poem :) It was happy.

* said...

This poem is a window. Thank you for it, Marion.

Marion said...

This is such a lovely, quiet and heartwarming poem. It felt good to read it, thank you, Marion! xx