NaPoWriMo 2024 day 20

Pen on top of an open book

Day 20 of NaPoWriMo.

My poem

A riddle.

Riddle

In chemistry, you may confuse
This object for a flask —
It's made of glass and has a bowl
Attached for smoking gas

Answer: Bong

Featured poem

A blank-verse poem about a 19th century cooking pot repaired with the kintsugi technique.

Kintsugi

by Susan Jarvis Bryant

There is an ancient practice in Japan —
Chipped and broken vessels, dear to hearts,
Are mended with a striking golden blend.

These cracked ceramics, kissed with artistry,
Have former glory honorably restored.
Each gleaming seam adds meaning to their worth.

This emphasis of imperfection shows
The wonder of destruction and rebirth —
The value of life’s scuffs and scrapes and scars.

I know bold souls of grit and wisdom gained
Through pain. They’ve soared to reach the giddy peaks
Of triumph in a rush of cloudless blue…

Then fallen from the crest of sky-high waves.
Life’s heady heights give way to stony ground
Littered with a slew of bones and dreams.

Old souls with tales of miracles to tell
Shimmer with the luster of the East.
Here in the West worn gifts are tossed aside.

They’re shoved in cobwebbed corners, locked away
In musty rooms where memories gather dust,
And ghosts float in the sheen of unseen pearls.

If you would like to reply to or comment on this blog post, feel free to email me at efe@mmhq.me.