For the month of April, I have committed to write a poem each day as part of a poem-a-thon fundraiser for City of Refuge, an organization that assists refugees settling in mid-Missouri.
I already have some sponsors among family and friends. If anyone else feels moved to donate, you can click on the link and scroll down to “donate to a participant.” Find Ida Fogle on the drop-down menu. That’s me.
The coordinator is sending writing prompts to participants. Today’s email contained a few, including the Katie Peterson poem “At the Very Beginning.” In response, I decided to write a poem called “At the Very End.”
At the Very End
At the very end I want to be in the middle of something
a poem half finished, a bite of pecan pie in my mouth
taste buds in the act of signaling my brain;
a shovel in my hands, turning compost, making blisters
eggshells and broccoli stems peeking from the dirt;
hiking a newly discovered trail, water bottle lifted;
observing the magnitude of the Milky Way
head tilted to the night sky, my ears open to owl hoots;
feet on the pedals of my bike, thigh muscles burning;
a laugh making its way up from my belly
while gathered at a familiar table with friends;
finger clicking photos of magnolia trees and peonies;
searching for the answer to a burning question, mind churning;
creating what was planned to be a memory;
telling my family, I love–
**
Nomadic Noesis 