Poems and Haiku

Mended and Broken

I was broken
but this year I am mending
it was last year
when mending still seemed a lost art
practiced by those who were old
before I was born
but this year I am mending
at a time
when no one bothers to mend anything
afraid they are complicated
throwing them away

I see the value
as a child I could not see
in the folk art gull
my grandfather made for me
broken and mended
I threw it away

I was broken
but this year I am mending
all those lost years
when mending still seemed a lost art
lost on those who replace old
things with shiny new
but this year I am mending
at a time
when on on makes time for mending
afraid they will miss something
on television

I see the value
as a child I could not see
in the walking wounded
zombies all around me
broken and mended
I see myself now

I was broken
but this year I am mending
was it last year
when mending still seemed a lost art?
only last year?
but this year I am mending

Steve Knoblock, Jan 2010