Frank and Dominic arrived while I was making my breakfast. They got right to work. Altho I have hardwood floors underneath, I prefer the soft feel of wall-to-wall on my bare feet, plus I'm a longtime floor-sitter, which is something that is good for everyone to do, like when we used to live in Altimira (the caves, silly, where we'd write on the walls).
Loads of dust from the foam pad underneath that had rotted from heat. The two workers freelance for several carpet companies. The competition, said Frank, is fierce in this bad economy.I spent a restive night, watching documentaries and doing my back exercises.
REQUIEM FOR A PASSING CARPET
Tomorrow you will
Lie on the cold December grass
You gave your life for your
Family, o soldier of the
Trod-upon:
Walk on me, you said,
I am your champagne-colored
Forest floor
Fine threads like swaying grass and
Softest moss
Butterflies come hither
Let wildflowers bloom for
Children and for lovers
Think me not unkind for trading you in
All things have lifespans
Carpets cannot last forever
Nor can children
Only the sky and yonder sun
Peeping out beyond Charley’s house
When morning comes
The noisy jangling with tools men
will arrive to take you down
I shall wear my widow’s weeds
Do carpets bleed?
Aye: of that I’m certain
But you shan’t be alone
I will stay with you till the end
See you to the cold December grass
O champagne-colored forest floor
And then of necessity turn my back
The way I did
On the old homestead
When Cowbell became my home.
Finally found time to read this and am impressed. Am I reading too much into it or is it about much more than carpets?? I don't know that we ever totally turn our backs on things from our past and certainly not people, who remain with us in our memories and our hearts. Yet we do move on, out of necessity and that is the natural order of things. All things and humans have their season.
ReplyDeleteI remember my bedroom carpet as a teen, by the way...Grey to offset the rose-colored walls,though I rarely viewed the world through rose-colored glasses back then. I can still see the spot, well-worn in front of the mirror where I spent hours fixing my make-up and hair just-so. I haven't forgotten that carpet!
I like the poem! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, visions and ideas, as always. Some great lines, Ruth!
"Fine threads like swaying grass and
Softest moss
Butterflies come hither
Let wildflowers bloom for
Children and for lovers"
And lots more too!
thanks for your thoughtful comments iris! the poet is always happy when her reader relates the poem to her own life, as you did with your grey bedroom carpet, long since gone but not forgotten.
ReplyDeletethe challenge in writing my poem was i wanted to remember my old carpet but i had no idea what i would say until i began the 'mind journey' of writing about it.
i have given myself another assignment just last nite and perhaps will do some writing on it soon, thanks to you!