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Michael Anthony
Michael Anthony
Jul 27, 2024 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

Putting Them Away

I put these feelings away
some time ago, where I thought
they’d stay where I left them.

But they felt no compunction
to stay were they’d been put.

In my youth, when you were letting me go
so subtly I didn’t notice until it was over.

The terrible act of love, having our dog
put to sleep from his suffering.

Hoping the day before her last one was a good one
for my mother, and that she’d finished a good book just in time.

But then I see an elderly couple holding hands,
or our young puppy finally learning to pee outside,
and I see I have new friends eager to help me
put the old wounds back where I’d like them to stay.

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: San Francisco Bay Area - USA, USA

Favorite Poets: Bukowski, Billy Collins, Ted Kooser, Haiku & Harvey Kurtzman (a visual poet, of sorts)

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Comments

Geezer

Geezer

11 months 3 weeks ago

Yes...

How easy it is to say, "I've put those feelings away",
when in fact, they are hidden so close to the surface,
that one little tic, one nudge, can bring them to the surface too easily.

But as you say, "But they feel no compunction to stay where they've been put."

I think that if you rearrange the stanzas, to reflect the passing of time,
it would make it just a bit more readable.

Try:
I put these feelings away
some time ago, [and] I thought
they'd stay where I left them.

But they felt no compunction
to stay where they'd been put.

In my youth, when you were letting me go,
so subtly, I didn't notice until it was over.

The terrible act of love, having our dog
put to sleep from his suffering.

Hoping that the day before the last one,
was a good one for my mother,
and that she'd finished that book.

Then I see an elderly couple holding hands,
or our young puppy finally learning to pee outside,
and I see I have new friends, eager to help me,
put the old wounds back where I'd like them to stay.

~ Geez.
.