Potholders

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Possibilities

I was checking out a new-to-me library yesterday and came across a book of poetry from one of my favorite poets, Wislawa Szymborska. When I took the book off the shelf, it fell open to this poem. I took it as a clear sign that I needed to share.


Possibilities

I prefer movies.
I prefer cats.
I prefer the oaks along the Warta.
I prefer Dickens to Dostoyevsky.
I prefer myself liking people
to myself loving mankind.
I prefer keeping a needle and thread on hand, just in case.
I prefer the color green.
I prefer not to maintain
that reason is to blame for everything.
I prefer exceptions.
I prefer to leave early.
I prefer talking to doctors about something else.
I prefer the old fine-lined illustrations.
I prefer the absurdity of writing poems
to the absurdity of not writing poems.
I prefer, where love's concerned, nonspecific anniversaries
that can be celebrated every day.
I prefer moralists
who promise me nothing.
I prefer cunning kindness to the over-trustful kind.
I prefer the earth in civvies.
I prefer conquered to conquering countries.
I prefer having some reservations.
I prefer the hell of chaos to the hell of order.
I prefer Grimms' fairy tales to the newspapers' front pages.
I prefer leaves without flowers to flowers without leaves.
I prefer dogs with uncropped tails.
I prefer light eyes, since mine are dark.
I prefer desk drawers.
I prefer many things that I haven't mentioned here
to many things I've also left unsaid.
I prefer zeroes on the loose
to those lined up behind a cipher.
I prefer the time of insects to the time of stars.
I prefer to knock on wood.
I prefer not to ask how much longer and when.
I prefer keeping in mind even the possibility
that existence has its own reason for being.

11 comments:

  1. Oh, beautiful Bonny! Again, I am shown how much I have yet to explore about poets! Thank you so much!

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  2. My favorite Szymborska EVER. XOXO

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  3. I prefer to read poetry rather than to write it - thank you for sharing another wonderful poem.

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  4. A very appropriate poem for your situation since it sounds like you have new possibilities. Maybe it was a nudge from the universe. Thanks for sharing this, Bonny. And aren't new libraries a ton of fun?

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  5. What a beautiful and deeply meaningful poem! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Absolutely beautiful. Makes me want to write an I prefer post

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    1. Now that sounds like a very good idea. I'll look forward to reading that post, and may steal your idea for one of my own some day!

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  7. You introduced me to Szymborska and I'm forever grateful. This poem is now my new-favorite.

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  8. this poet is my soul mate....

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  9. This must be a favorite of many people if the page falls right open. It is certainly one of her most well known! Thank you for sharing this poem!

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  10. Thank-you for sharing Bonny! I really, really enjoyed this poem! (And I would't look for poetry...ever!) (Maybe I should!)

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