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Friday, January 4, 2013

For Real Toads: window challenge

Mary, a talented member of the online writers' group Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, hosts a challenge called Mary's Mixed Bag. Today, she has asked us to write about windows.

Photo by Kay L. Davies, December 2011
I started off with a little of my usual doggerel, thinking to use a photo of the window my husband had installed in the door by my computer desk in 2011. It was a gift for my birthday, and I was thrilled. It overlooks our small front yard, which is almost covered by the branches of an ornamental crabapple tree. We don't use the fruit, but leave it on the tree for visiting wildlife, mostly of the winged or antlered variety, which can be pretty exciting and certainly a lot of fun to watch.
I once had a window made for me
so I could look outside and see
our crabapple tree whose frozen fruit
the birds and deer would come to loot
However, after four lines of said doggerel, I began to think about no windows, and the thought made me feel hollow inside, so I wrote something else.

HOLLOW INSIDE

a house without windows
a room with no door
a boat full of holes
on the ocean floor
a life without living
a song with no tune
there’s no thanksgiving
with no harvest moon
we remain unforgiven
if there was no sin
for there was no window
no one looking in
Kay L. Davies, January, 2013

19 comments:

Helen said...

One of your best, Kay!!!

Grace said...

I like the window view from your room and your poem on seeing the crabapple tree ~

But the house without windows will depress me Kay ~ Enjoyed your hollowed version too ~

Mary said...

Kay, I like where your mind went with this challenge...from your own window to a life without windows. Indeed no thanksgiving with no harvest moon, and it would be indeed a pretty dim life if one could never look out or see anyone looking in.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed both the (literally and figuratively) lighter poem and the windowless poem as well. Very nice! :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I loved this entire post. And how wonderful your husband is, to give you a window on the world right by your desk!

Maude Lynn said...

Marvelous write, Kay!

Susie Clevenger said...

The entire piece is delightful...in the first is the joy of looking out..the second the darkness of life without a view...

Leslie said...

I like the way your mind turned this inside out, so to speak. Nice write, Kay.

Kay said...

Wow Kay! This is fantastic! You are such an incredible poet. I'm looking out my window right now and see rain. It's wonderful! For me... though maybe not for the tourists.

Kerry O'Connor said...

This gave me chills, Kay. Honestly, it went straight through me, as only truth can.

Rinkly Rimes said...

I'm glad you changed your mind! The new poem has a great freshness about it.

Jinksy said...

Interest tour around the subject.:)

Susan said...

You definitely reveal why you are grateful for your own window, home, world. Nicely tuned!

Friko said...

Excellent, Kay. Being serious becomes you. Frightening to think of a house with no windows, even a cave has an entrance that lets in light.

Hannah said...

"a boat full of holes
on the ocean floor"

I love this!!

I really enjoy that your posts are so conversational, Kay. Thank you for the view out your window and even the hollow one as well!

Fireblossom said...

That is one questionable boat! One way ride to Davy Jones' locker!

Marian said...

whoosh, kay, i love your no-window poem, but i'm also fond of your so-called doggerel. yay!

Jenn Jilks said...

This is fabulous.

Anonymous said...

A wonderful poem, Kay - this idea of the witness so important. Thanks. k.