By Joan Kantor
Sarasota Branch
Whose love
passion
sadness
fears
have poured through their fingers
and onto these keys before me
With each clunking laborious stroke
rattling tap and rustling ribbon
ink was sealed onto the page
and couldn’t be deleted
or completely rubbed off
with the putty-pink tip of a pencil
While slowly typing
I’m mindful of more than my words
and glad that the space bar is in disrepair
giving me pause
time to think
about awareness
impulsivity
intention
how the present
can’t erase the past
that indelibly lasts
as a shadowy stain seeping
into the future
Joan, this is a superb poem whose meaning and impact last as long as typewritten pages. I especially love the sound of “rattling tap and rustling ribbon” for its perfect description of the mechanics of old typewriters. I agree with Nancy about those final lines, such a fine metaphor, which brought us back to the inked words of the typewriter.
This is a great poem. I loved your use of the single word lines, as it made it very powerful!
I love antique typewriters and have shared Joan’s musings about the history of those who used them for expressive communication through-out their lives. The final lines of this poem were especially touching and thought provoking. Thank you, Joan!
I absolutely loved this! Well done!
Yes!
I love how this poem moves from the wonder and joy of owning an old typewriter, to the ideas of slowing down and being present — how the past is always there, affecting us in ways we may not even realize. Word processors today make it so easy to delete a mistake, erasing all evidence of our errors. Powerful final five lines!