Thursday, September 22, 2022

Blessed cogs

Why isn't there a special name for the tops of your feet?
~Lily Tomlin


Happy Poetry Friday! Man, did I have a hard time choosing a poem for today. I finally settled on "About Standing (in Kinship)" by Chippewa poet Kimberly Blaeser.

About Standing (in Kinship)
By Kimberly Blaeser

We all have the same little bones in our foot
twenty-six with funny names like navicular.
Together they build something strong—
our foot arch a pyramid holding us up.
The bones don’t get casts when they break.
We tape them—one phalange to its neighbor for support.

read the rest here

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Imagine the Possibilities has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Rose!

9 comments:

Rose Cappelli said...

Thanks for this lovely reminder of the wonder of feet and standing together in friendship.

Janice Scully said...

As I sit here nursing a foot problem that I hope will just take rest, I appreciate feet and Blaeser's poem about the wonder of feet, that an injury is not isolated. Each part dependent on all the others. I agree "maybe we should give more honor to feet/and to all those tiny but blessed cogs in the world."

jama said...

You had me at the Lily Tomlin quote -- but then, that poem!! I took my feet for granted until I started having problems with them. So true that they are one's foundation and every cog counts!

Linda B said...

When poets show us another view, I am so grateful, and now you've shared this for us, Tabatha. Thanks much! I've had some new needs in my bookstore managing & two friends stepped in to help. I will share with them! Happy fall!

Unknown said...

Wonderful poem and title! Another important bone in the foot is the os calcis -it's part of the tarsus, also known as the heel bone and supports most of the weight of our lower body–I love the last line too, "communities, the forgotten architecture of friendship," thanks Tabatha!

Michelle Kogan said...

Hey Tabatha, I'm the unknown above, thanks, Michelle Kogan

Carol Varsalona said...

Tabatha, this is a wonderful little poem with a great punchline at the end.

Patricia Franz said...

Mmmm... love "find healing in the leaning"- may we, yes - all our "blessed cogs". Thank you, Tabatha.

Karen Edmisten said...

Loved the final line:
"communities, the forgotten architecture of friendship."
And love the cat feet! :D
Thanks for this, Tabatha.