This week at The Miss Rumphius Effect Tricia asked us to write
a "timeline" poem. I thought it was the ideal moment to
write about some old watches I was dispatching during this my Summer of
Declutter. I'll say no more since I'm having a devil of a time with
formatting today, except that our Poetry Friday host is none other than my
local friend Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.
don't believe me just swatch
1
NYC 1986
sidewalk knockoff
of subway art
radiant, baby, in black and red
Thanks, Keith
2
London 94 and love is all around
on a Sunday I buy a new watch,
wear it to some weddings
but no one we know needs a funeral
we’re lucky
3
timetumbler 1996 flung
downunderbetween
weightless in the air over oceans
repatriated, do I come out
more polished?
4
Caterpillar Classroom 2001
sewing
machine runs in fits and starts
patches of orangecoralpink & one red heart
4-year-olds keep me in stitches:
Mother’s Day quilt for my wrist
-Heidi Mordhorst 2015
all rights reserved
photos from Swatch
website
I love this, Heidi. You have me now thinking about the watches of my life...and I am also connecting your cool poem to "Animals" by Miller Williams and this article, "Leaving Identity Issues to Other Folks" by Phyllis Allen. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4738649 I may have to try a timeline poem. Thank you. And your new blog/site looks fantastic. Such a great idea! xo
ReplyDeleteHa! A devil of a "time"...pun intended or no...good one either way.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet shoes would make a good "time travel". Just thinking of the shoes in the 50's, 60's, 70's....all the way through! I may give it a go with the shoes - "go" being an unintentional pun here...
Thanks for sending me your books! Just got them and they are beautiful!
May I share your ode next Friday? It is just beautiful. Thank you so much!
The playfulness and affection in section four pulls me in every time I read it. (Do you know, Heidi, I never owned a swatch? I have barely owned any watches as an adult.)
ReplyDeleteI read that article Amy linked to -- the author has spent half her working life in her car, selling Yellow Pages ads, which I suppose are becoming relatively obsolete. She wants to write when she retires... I hope she does. It seems like she must have so many stories. Maybe a timeline poem of her cars!
Tabatha, how do you live without a WATCH? Actually I admire people who can do that.
DeleteI haven't owned a watch for over 20 years. I became allergic to nickel and then just had too hard a time finding one, so learned to go without. iPhone has been quite a blessing!
DeleteI, too, don't wear a watch anymore! I like the film reference--any movie with Hugh Grant in it is memorable in my book.
ReplyDeleteI have a whole collection of analog watches (nary a working digital in the whole crew). I, too, could write a timeline based on them. I even brought a couple three or five back from Mom's to get new batteries and a new life on my wrist. If it's a sickness, at least it can be contained in one box on my dresser top...
ReplyDeleteYes, this is definitely a to-be-continued poem--I have LOTS more watches, every one analog, in my big glass goblet. The ones I have to let go have irreparable bands or hinges. The least I can do is immortalize them...
ReplyDeleteYour life in swatch watches. How clever. I love how you've captured each one.
ReplyDeleteHeidi,
ReplyDeleteMy comment just vanished in the ether.
BTW, I have been having trouble formatting my posts with Blogger too. It gets really frustrating at times.
I have never owned a Swatch. I have had some bad luck with watches, though. That's why I don't ever buy expensive ones.
Enjoyed reading your "timeline" poem!
These watches tell a wonderful story about you and your travels, Heidi. I love the Keith Haring Swatch. They were the height of cool.
ReplyDelete