Poems for the Nostalgic — Vol. 1

Poetry — "Sunflower Milkshake," "A Wooden Bottle," and "I'm Sorry I can't Make It." This collection of short poems comes straight from my handwritten journal where I compose most of my verses.

Photo by Angie on Unsplash

Sunflower Milkshake

I craved a snack to sate my nostalgia:
A sunflower shake
Spun from smiling flowers,
Rooted in rolling hills
Where my forgotten home hides.
A single greedy gulp empties my glass.
"Another,"
I demand.
The barkeep hangs his head:
"There can be no more,
The ingredients belong to baren fields."

Photo by edgeeffectmedia.com on Unsplash

A Wooden Bottle

You can't bottle a feeling
But I'm sure that if you could,
The bottle would be painted green
And made from weathered wood;

Stoppered up with shutters
To hold back the salty spray,
And bolted on just tight enough
To blot the light of day.

The sleeping ghost of summers
dwells within this maroon keep,
Swirling in the mothball must
And darkness warm and deep.

It groans as it awakens
From a dreamless winter rest,
And welcomes back its family
To a barefoot, sun-kissed rest.

Photo by Tiny Tribes on Unsplash

I’m Sorry I can’t Make it

The you that was when we were young, by now is surely dead;
Supplanted by some visage that had sprouted in my head.
When I close my eyes and think, I never picture you—
Only a simulacra that I planted, kept and grew.

I'd pruned your imperfections just to help your flowers grow,
Allowing only my ideal to ever truly show;
Oft collecting positives from women that I've met,
And plastering you over them until the cast had set.

I can't compare you to another, no—no matter how I feel,
Deep down I know I made you up, and you were never real.

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Thank You for Reading!

I wanted to share something a bit more personal with you all. I’m first and foremost a writer of prose, but I do love to dip my toes into poetry from time to time. Do you have a favorite of this collection?

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