This week, I turned to Lucille Clifton’s words for comfort. Her poem “my dream about time” captures the frustration, fear, and anger so many women are feeling right now.
my dream about time
By Lucille Clifton
a woman unlike myself is running
down the long hall of a lifeless house
with too many windows which open on
a world she has no language for,
running and running until she reaches
at last the one and only door
which she pulls open to find each wall
is faced with clocks and as she watches
all of the clocks strike
NO
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Listen to Clifton reading this poem at The Poetry Foundation.
There’s a poetry feast at Jama’s house today. You’ll find all of the Poetry Friday links at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup.
The contest to win my home-made Poetry Prompt Jar will run through the NCTE Conference. I’ll draw a winner on Monday, 11/21. Find out more and enter here.
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Are you going to NCTE? It will be my first time attending. I’ll post my schedule soon!
What a powerful poem, such a painful truth. Thanks for sharing, Laura.
The images in this poem struck a chord with me. All those clocks saying, “It’s not time for you.”
This *might* be my favorite Lucille poem. At least it is today. Thank you, Laura. Looking forward to sharing time with you at NCTE. xo
It’s going to be so wonderful to meet in person at last, Irene.
Whoa! What a powerhouse of a poem and a woman. Thank you.
I will be at NCTE!! So glad you will be there too. You will LOVE it.
She was a powerful advocate for poetry, Julieanne. We were very lucky to have Lucille in our local literary community.
See you at NCTE!
So much frustration, disappointment, heartbreak right now. Let us channel it into action, in whatever way we can, including sharing beautiful, inspiring poetry like this.
Yes, Jane. I fear many of us — myself included — have been sleeping. It’s time to wake up and take action.
Such power in such a small poem. Wow! Thank you for sharing this one.
Thanks, Linda. She was a master at that — small poem, big punch.
Thanks for this, Laura, will share with my daughter, too, who at least will know some others are feeling the same, and some special someone has written the words.
I’m glad you have someone to share it with, Linda. Our time will come.
Yes, a resounding NO…but there is always action to fight against the NO.
That’s what gives me hope and keeps me going, Tara.
In my dream, someone would be chasing me, too. Great poem, and I can relate instantly. Something has gone wrong with this world.
It captures my fear and anger.
What a powerful poem with that sudden jarring, heartbreaking ending!
I’m glad it speaks to you, Molly. I wish this were a only a nightmare.
Wow. So bleak yet so very powerful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Sally.
I didn’t realize it’s your first time to attend NCTE. Welcome home!
That made me smile, Mary Lee!
I know many LC poems, but not this one…like so many dreams packed with possible interpretations, masses of emotion, and I’m so curious: a woman “unlike me”?
See you on Thursday evening if not Friday? Planning to attend your session, of course.
I wonder about that line, too. Maybe it implies that nothing will stop the speaker — not even time.
I don’t arrive until Friday. Let’s find a time to meet up!