View from my writing window
Rectangles and lines of nonfiction
diagonal, horizontal, vertical paragraphs
of roof, window, drainpipe
Venetian sentences
just a little off
with the siding
(a bit of parallelism
would even that out)
Eave trough
is a green algae poem
(if my window opened
on the near side
I would revise it
with a long-handled mop)
Only movement
commas, colons and periods
dripping from the greasy shingles
and once in a while
dropping in to visit
fantasy crow
or jeweled pigeon
from a novel setting
© 2011 by Violet Nesdoly
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Today is Poetry at Work Day! I’m celebrating it by re-posting this poem about the view from the room in which I work (our townhouse’s third bedroom that has been my office from the day we moved here). My view isn’t particularly inspiring. My window faces another building. The window just across from mine, judging from the pink curtains, is the bedroom window of our neighbours’ five-year-old daughter. From time to time the blinds open and and then they close but not much else goes on.
However, I am thrilled to have my own room in which to write, despite the lack of an exciting view.
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How are you celebrating Poetry At Work Day? Need some inspiration? The Infographic below (captured from this page at Tweetspeak Poetry) will give you some ideas! Have a wonderfully poetic day, wherever and whatever your work!

WEll Done! I really enjoyed this….. 🙂 I appreciate your discipline!
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Lovely plays on words.
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smiles. my view is usually the coffee shop….i love watching people and finding my inspiration there…
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Think thisis my first visit to you, really nice play on the words in your poem, can imagine watching the scene from the coffee shop as Brian said. People watching is an inherant part of what makes us write.
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beautifully versed, between commas and eave troughs…and a green algae poem is life and an amazing one…thank you…bkm
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love your poem. It’s the 15th here now so I managed to miss this day, but I’ll try a special poem today instead – and put it in my diary for next year!
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That’s right Kiwiskan. But judging from the frequent poetry postings on your blog, most days are Poetry at Work days for you! I enjoy your beautiful thoughts on nature and God. Keep it up!
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Nice job, Violet. I’ve posted a tanka to celebrate at http://randomnoodling.blogspot.com/2014/01/haiku-sticky-236.html
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Saw your tanka, Diane! Perfect sum-up of how a poet-librarian spends her day. Thanks for joining in!
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I didn’t know, Violet. What a fun poem with the clever approach to your view, or POV. And thanks for all the advertisements for this day-wish I’d known sooner!
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Thank you, Linda! You work with poetry often as a teacher, so poetry at work day is every day for you, isn’t it? As for the day, there’s always next year 🙂
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There’s some really cool geometry, structure, and architecture to your poem. I loved the way the shingles seemed to hold things — words, crows, visual images.
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Thank you Laura! When I challenged myself to write a poem about the limited view out of my window, there didn’t seem to be much to work with. Watching the rain fall off my roof is a regular occupation–like those letters that flow from our fingers when we type. And the odd bird is a welcome visitor! Glad you think it works.
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