How to be alone, by Britta Benson

Photo by Ahmed Aqtai on Pexels.com

I am often inspired by the words of other poets. This is one of the reasons I love the bloggosphere so much! There is so much to discover…

Recently, very recently, Peter (Peter’s pondering, https://pollymermaid.wordpress.com/), a blogger friend of mine, posted a recording of a poem of Tom Alexander (https://pollymermaid.wordpress.com/2022/05/11/as-we-entangle-the-lighthouse/). I was instantly hooked and am now working my way through Tom’s poems. Today, I read his poem ‘How to be alone’ (https://tomalexwrite.com/2022/05/07/how-to-be-alone/).

This inspired me to write my own ‘How to be alone’ poem. Not a response to Tom Alexander’s poem, but certainly inspired by it.

Here goes.

How to be alone…

… often.

Easy.

Standing in that pool of borrowed sunlight,

on the safe side of my council estate window,

bare feet buried into the grey shag pile rug…

Toes wiggle freely, fingers, not so much so.

Mug of tea, filled with strong, sturdy Assam,

second flush,

clutched like a lifebuoy.

Here’s my ocean,

liquid amber,

waters,

waiting

to swallow me whole.

How to be alone…

… often.

Easy.

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