Poetry Friday: “The Old Woman in the Yard”

Before we get into today’s poem, I need to repeat the news, in case you missed it: the incredibly talented Fred Koehler has signed on to illustrate my debut picture book, Flashlight Night (Boyd’s Mills Press), which is due out in Fall 2017!

This is a “first” of sorts for both of us – and if you read my post from this past Tuesday, you can find out why!

Now then…onto today’s poetry! Laura Shovan’s February poetry prompt series, the “Found Poem Project,” is in full swing (I hosted the project last Friday!), and today I have another poem to share that was inspired by one of her ‘found’ objects.

I don’t normally share poems that haven’t had time to sit and marinate for a while and be revised – this poem only took me about 45 minutes to conceive, write, and edit slightly – but I thought posting a rough draft of a poem for a change might not be a bad thing:

The Old Woman in the Yard

We’d walked this way for years.
Each time, we’d see her there
in burlap dress and bonnet,
hands clenched, as if in prayer.
Her back was always turned,
head bowed in silent thought;
we wondered (rather, worried)
should we bother her, or not?
So every time we passed,
we never said a word,
we never slowed our pace;
the woman never stirred.
And then one day we came upon
an empty, hollow space…
we’d never known her name.
We never saw her face.

– © 2016, Matt Forrest Esenwine, all rights reserved

If you’d like to see the photo of the unusual object that spurred me to write this, along with all the other poems that Laura’s readers have contributed, please visit her blog today! And for all of today’s Poetry Friday links, head on over to Kimberly Moran’s blog, Written Reflections.

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