National Poetry Month: Wonder

To celebrate National Poetry Month, several of us are sharing poetry with you on Thursdays in April. Today's poem is about something we can all use more of, wherever and whenever we can find it. It's about WONDER. This poem by Nancy Willard says to me that it can be found almost anywhere, including The Home Depot. 

A Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of God

by Nancy Willard

I praise the brightness of hammers pointing east
like the steel woodpeckers of the future,
and dozens of hinges opening brass wings,
and six new rakes shyly fanning their toes,
and bins of hooks glittering into bees,

and a rack of wrenches like the long bones of horses,
and mailboxes sowing rows of silver chapels,
and a company of plungers waiting for God
to claim their thin legs in their big shoes
and put them on and walk away laughing.

In a world not perfect but not bad either
let there be glue, glaze, gum, and grabs,
caulk also, and hooks, shackles, cables, and slips,
and signs so spare a child may read them,
Men, Women, In, Out, No Parking, Beware the Dog.

In the right hands, they can work wonders.

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Willard, Nancy. Swimming Lessons. 1996, Alfred A. Knopf. 

(If you are interested, the Kindle version of this book of poetry is only $1.99.)

You can read more about the poet here. 

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Be sure to check in with Kym, Kat, and Sarah for more poetry full of wonder today, and join us next Thursday for more poems in celebration of National Poetry Month. (And remember that any time is good for poetry, not just Thursdays in April!)