UNWRAPPED

This week’s poem comes from Joel Nyland.

UNWRAPPED




RECYCLE BIN FULL OF GREEN RED BLUE


CARDBOARD STACKED


LINE FOR GOODWILL DONATIONS DOWN THE STREET


STORES BUSY WITH RETURNS


STUFF STUFF STUFF


NONE OF IT GOES WITH US


WHEN I DIE


I WANT PEOPLE TO SAY HE LEFT ONLY WORDS


WORDS THAT FILL THEIR HEARTS


WORDS THAT FILL THEIR IMAGINATIONS


WORDS THAT WERE NOT AI GENERATED


WHEN I LIVE I WANT TO FILL MYSELF WITH WORDS


WORDS THAT BEAT IN MY HEART


WORDS THAT ARE MY IMAGINATION


WORDS THAT I CREATE


ONE LETTER AT A TIME


LIKE EACH SECOND OF THE NEW YEAR AN OPPORTUNITY


AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE STUFF


STUFF BEFORE I DIE


MY OMA GAVE ME A NAMIBIAN DOLL YESTERDAY


SHE IS STARTING TO LET GO OF STUFF


I DON'T NEED A DOLL


AND I LIKE THINKING ABOUT NAMIBIA


BUT THE DUST ON THE DOLL I CAN DO WITHOUT


HOW CAN I LOVE STUFF AND DO WITHOUT?


NOW THE DOLL IS MINE


MY FRIENDS GOT POSTERS OF OUR ALBUM COVER 


BEAUTIFUL BUT THEN WHAT?


WORDS TAKE UP LITTLE SPACE


THEY DON'T COLLECT DUST


AND CAN EASILY BE REFRESHED


IN THE NEW YEAR I’M GOING TO FILL MYSELF WITH WORDS

PS: To hear the album Joel mentions, go here!