Fifty-Two Cups of Poetry: Poem #1: Not For a Year

Recently my friend Teresa recommended a book to me called 52 Cups of Coffee by Megan Gebhart. She had heard the author speak and was inspired by the idea of finding something to do each week for a year. In the book Megan found strangers and sat and had coffee with them. Her book is filled with stories of the people she met. You can learn more about her and her book here.
Teresa and her husband decided to try a new recipe every week. I really loved that idea. I shared the book with my sister Carol and she suggested an idea for us. How about writing a poem every week? I knew I wanted to get back to writing as more of a ritual. I loved this idea. I am a bit behind, but will catch up.
The book I read for inspiration today as I composed my first poem was "The Poetry Home Repair Manual" by Ted Kooser. Kooser has had a huge influence on my writing. You can learn more about him and his books here.
Here is what I composed for Week 1. Kooser's Chapter 8 "Writing from Memory" provided ideas.

Not For a Year

I didn’t feel her death would come for a year.

There would be time for advice on growing bigger tomatoes.

I would learn what to do when my toenail fell off.

She would remind me patiently and expertly what each pill was for in my box.

Black Friday would find us side by side on her bed ordering gifts online,

And then she would walk me through the directions

for making her prized fruit cake.

I would get better at maneuvering her wheelchair,

I would stop finishing her sentences,

I would also remember to bring the socks, her purse, and the mail,

And not forget to read the obituaries ahead of time.

Fruitcake didn’t get baked before Christmas.

Angels are now adorning the shelves of people she loved,

Her daughter wraps herself in a bright -colored buffalo checked flannel shirt,

We say toast after toast as we smile through tears,

remembering a life well-lived.

Christy Woolum, Janurary 28, 2018