Poems

Carol says stretch Jody says bend Linda says lift Suzanne says swing Brenda says breathe Donna says don’t eat I stand at the back of the exercise class hoping no one will notice that I can’t sit with my legs straight can’t touch my toes can’t straighten my back can’t bend sideways I lag behind MORE >

Every January first we vow to clean up the storeroom We plan to open all those boxes that never got unpacked in twenty years and many moves Until one day I said to my husband “Either we move to a bigger house or we clean out the storeroom” So we set aside two weekends rolled MORE >

I don’t plan my life right I always wish I were working less I wish I were less busy I dream of one lazy day with nothing to do And then, when such a day without deadlines or bills to pay or letters to answer or drawers to clean finally happens I take a walk MORE >

When my mother entertained she used her best china crystal, and silverware and served elaborate dinners with red and white wines There was champagne with dessert strong coffee in a demitasse and the ladies wore long dresses When I entertain I use oven-proof dishes stainless-steel flatware and serve a casserole, a salad a glass of MORE >

“You never know” and “just in case” are the two phrases I live by So I notice what seems insignificant and remember unimportant events I do some things not for the doing but for the having done I collect experiences and live through events which are not all especially pleasant But I keep doing it MORE >

I want to thank my parents for having made me daughter I want to thank my husband for having made me wife I am thanking my children for making me mother and their children for I am now grandma I want to thank young people for letting me be teacher And I thank all those MORE >

I want to leave the papers piled so high on my desk that I cannot find the top of it I want to leave the dishes so stacked up in my sink that I cannot see the bottom of it I want to leave my clothes-filled hamper and the empty refrigerator I want to leave MORE >

Tomorrow I will change turn a new leaf become this new person I will exercise before breakfast not eat cookies between meals not fret over trivialities not run about getting upset that I’m not getting everything done Tomorrow I will change I say this every day

Somewhere between always giving to others and always keeping it all to myself I stand Somehow between only caring for others and only caring for me I live But when I am only for others I ask who will be for me? And when I am only for me then what am I?

Women’s guesses are disparaged but men’s hypotheses need further research Women’s knowing carries no weight but men’s knowledge is significant Women’s feelings have little value but men’s thoughts are written down Women’s intuition is at least as good as men’s hunches.