Poem of the Moment
Welcome to poems.
Every few weeks we pop a new poem up here to read or listen to. We only share poems that the poet has intentionally put in the public domain, or where we’ve gotten permission directly.
There’s a link below to explore more about the poet. Check them out, buy their books, support us all living in a world of poems.
Enjoy!
How Do I Know When a Poem Is Finished?
When you quietly close
the door to a room
the room is not finished.
It is resting. Temporarily.
Glad to be without you
for a while.
Now it has time to gather
its balls of gray dust,
to pitch them from corner to corner.
Now it seeps back into itself,
unruffled and proud.
Outlines grow firmer.
When you return,
you might move the stack of books,
freshen the water for the roses.
I think you could keep doing this
forever. But the blue chair looks best
with the red pillow. So you might as well
leave it that way.
~ Naomi Shihab Nye