Sometimes we share weird traits without realizing it – like hating innocuous things, such as clover. Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt showed me that I share this particular quirk with Darwin himself.

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Poetic Sundays: Why Some Hate Clover So Much

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt challenges us to take a page from Catullus and Darwin, and write a poem in which we talk about disliking something – particularly something utterly innocuous, like clover. Be over the top! Be a bit silly and overdramatic. So take this poem with a giant grain of rock salt…

I Keep Noticing

Oh, I despise that box of cookies
where I open to eat one –
only to find, well, none
to sate my craving.

And that sun
that blinding, theatrical sun,
that glares at me on my morning drive –
until it does not –
when it blessedly lands just right,
and dares to call itself kind.

And that kid who rises bold, announces aloud,
“Oh, I hate hawks, Ms. V –
they’re named after my favorite team’s enemy!
While I’m at it, let me confess, I abhor reading too,
and the number eight –
way “two” round (Ms. V, get it?)
Now don’t make me return to this one…

reaeaeading…
pages breeding more pages,
words that sit and stare
until I stare back,
as if daring me
to care.”

Back to me… clover!
Yes, clover!
Soft, harmless, everywhere clover…
I loathe it most of all
for being nothing at all,
for carpeting the earth
in quiet indifference,
for not even trying
to be worth noticing.

As for my son, this is what he said:
“Oh, you know what truly offends me?
Those conversators
who never return the question,
who take my carefully crafted inquiry,
my thoughtfully laid conversational trap,
and simply… answer.
Do they not see the opening
I have left?
The gentle, waiting space
for a ‘what about you?’
The story I have polished, prepared,
held just behind my teeth
like a secret-
wasted.
Entirely wasted.
What about me, huh?
What about me?”

Then there are those people –
those people on crowded sidewalks –
who amble, who stroll,
as if time itself has slowed just for them,
as if the rest of us
are not pulsing with urgency
behind their drifting steps.
Do they not feel it –
the quiet fury,
the shortened pace
of those trapped in their wake?
(I may be one of them, the amblers, I mean!
so do I resent myself then!!)

Oh, I tell you –
evolution has failed to address
the smallest (loudest) irritants.
I hate them –
all of them –

and still…
I keep noticing.

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Recently

On My Blog

My recent posts since and including my last Sunday Scribblings (Each one includes unusual/quirky words of the letter, a poem for NaPoWriMo, books (of course) from the letter of the day, and sometimes other stuff too)

• D is for Delightful Words, Verses, and More
• Creative Curiosities: A Celebration of Wondrous Words
• Becoming Bliss: Baltering Through Beginnings and More
• Absquatulate with Amber: An Amazing Start to April
• Sunday Scribblings #248: Powerful Performance Poetry and More: Staged Words

& at Home

Not much, just work and some more work! Though we did watch the Artemis II lift off; was really cool. And an extra dose of pride since we listened to Victor Glover give the commencement speech at my son’s graduation ceremony last year. Glover, like my son, is a CalPoly alumni!!

Upcoming

On My Blog & Homefront

Hope to bring more poetry and words and books here.. Maybe continue watching Artemis II as it loops around the moon.

This Week’s Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week of April include: the 6th celebrates Leigh Bardugo; Gabriela Mistral and William Wordsworth on the 7th; Barbara Kingsolver and Sara Shepard on the 8th; Charles Baudelaire on the 9th; Anne Lamott and Paul Theroux on the 10th; Thomas Harris (of The Silence of the Lambs fame) on 11 April; Beverly Cleary and Tom Clancy on April 12th
• It is National Library Day on the 6th of April
• Next up is International Snail Papers Day on April 7th
• April 10th brings with it Encourage a Young Writer Day 
• While the 11th of April is Poet in a Cupcake Day
• Followed by D.E.A.R. Day or Drop Everything and Read Day on the 12th of April (Beverly Cleary’s birthday)
• The 1st full week of April (April 6 – 11) observes Take Your Poet to School Week
• April is English Language Month, National Poetry Month, as well as Poetic Earth Month

Foodie Celebrations

• April 6th observes National Caramel Popcorn Day, Fresh Tomato Day , National Acai Bowl Day, and National Food Faces Day!
• Followed by National Beer Day and National Coffee Cake Day on the 7th of April
• April 8th is National Empanada Day
• While the 9th observes National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
• Then it is National Cinnamon Crescent Day for some sweet treats on the 10th of April
• National Cheese Fondue Day comes next on April 11th
• And more cheese right after with National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day on the 12th, which is also National Licorice Day

Other Celebrations

• April 6th observes World Table Tennis Day and California Poppy Day It is also International Firewalk Day and Jump Over Things Day (so maybe jump over those firewalks?!)
• World Health Day, National Girl Me Too Day,  Public Television Day, and National No Housework Day are on April 7th
• Followed by International Romani Day, World Pageant Day, National All Is Ours Day, and National Zoo Lovers Day on the 8th of April. Also Draw a Bird Day in the UK.
• April 9th observes National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, National Name Yourself Day, National Unicorn Day, National Winston Churchill Day, and National Cherish an Antique Day
• Reach out to your siblings on April 10th, for it is National Siblings Day
• April 11th is Barbershop Quartet Day, National Clean Up Your Pantry Day
• The 12th is International Day for Human Space Flight and International Day for Street Children. It is also Slow Art Day, Walk on Your Wild Side Day, and Wear a Star Day

Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. I’d love to hear if you’re celebrating any of these quirky days—or if you, too, have a secret disdain for clover or other innocuous things!

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon. Also linking up to UBC, NaPoWriMo

And you can find all my A-Z+ posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:

A to Z Challenge Posts