Ruminations

It is 1:40am. A brain can knit threads together all evening,

Weaving cashmere thoughts, wool images, strings of consciousness.

I will crochet sweaters from the lonely night air when…

My mind is on loop.

*

It is 2:33am. A brain can plan layouts of a hundred arboretums:

Here is where we grow hawthorn hands, willow words, bamboo breath.

But planning and planting good intentions are different things when…

My mind is on loop.

*

It is 4:15am. A brain can shuffle among the spirits of moments

Sit among the conversation graves, dignity coffins, anger burials.

Every night I rebuild this cemetery to honor these memories when…

My mind is on loop.

~

If you enjoyed this poem

Ruminations and many more poems can be found in my paper collage poetry book, All the Brooding Flowers:

Author's Note

This poem was originally written as a submission for the 3Elements Review, a literary journal that themes each issue around three words. For the Winter 2021 issue, these words were "Loop," "Ghost," and "Hibiscus." The first word, "Loop" became the inspiration behind the entire piece, as this poem was written to encapture the "looping" sensation that occurs when one is experiencing racing ruminations.

After editing, you'll notice that the word "Hibiscus" no longer appears in this poem ("hawthorn hands" was once written as "hibiscus hands"). This was one of many minor adjustments I made to the poem to tweak the imagery to my liking.

Looking for Inspiration?

For poets, I highly recommend looking to the 3Elements review for inspiration, as the three-word prompts can instill fresh ideas without limiting your subject matter. Like me, you may or may not choose to ultimately keep all three words, but at the end, you will have created a new, unique poem that twists your imagery into something you may not have been able to come up with previously. And isn't that what poetry is all about? Capturing stories and concepts with a fresh, new twist on words?

Check out the latest 3Elements Theme at their website or on Submittable. The three elements for the current submission period are: Mercy, Town square, Frost and submissions are due November 30th, 2021 (Note that 3Elements Review will not accept any submissions without all three words present).

This poem was originally published by Bourgeon Magazine (Online) along with two other of my poems in April 2021. However, the author's note and other original commentary are exclusive to Vocal.