“Untitled,” New Era, Aug. 1973, 17
Untitled
Contest Winner
Sometimes
I set in my jar on the shelf
and try to think things out.
It’s nice to be alone in the quiet, sometimes …
Find a deep trunk or a
dark closet, somewhere to
hide and gather my mind,
then evaluate to see what
I find. When I come out
I twist the lid on tightly
so no one else can find
the inside of my jar; I
shut the sliding door, so
they can’t find my shelf.
It’s the only place I have
to myself.
Crawling out
of the hundreds of shoes
pushing up the lid of
the trunk, I can seep
out into the light, where
my mind has more to
think of than myself
and my life. Things can
line up then, fall into
order. Voices I couldn’t
hear are louder.
Through my jarred
meditation, I can be
happy. I can see where
to place myself.
Life’s clearer