“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

Hope is like a bird that perches inside our heart. In extreme circumstances and chilly, stormy environment, hope gives us strength and protection that leads our way forward. It does not shame us. And it never asks anything in return. It is just there for us.

Hope takes flight in difficult situations!

He has slept with accountants and brokers,
With a cowgirl (well, someone from Healds).
He has slept with non-smokers and smokers
In commercial and cultural fields.

He has slept with book-keepers, book-binders,
Slept with auditors, florists, PAs
Child psychologists, even child minders,
With directors of firms and of plays.

He has slept with the stupid and clever.
He has slept with the rich and the poor
But he sadly admits that he’s never
Slept with a poet before.

Real poets are rare, he confesses,
While it’s easy to find a cashier.
So I give him some poets’ addresses
And consider a change of career.

It is funny how the poet responds to the guy she meets in the pub when he said he has never slept with a poet. Obviously, the poet does not want to entertain the guy and just diverts him with some poets’ addresses. She makes a humorous remark that she seriously thinks about changing her career as a poet to get away from the guy who poses an occupational hazard to the poet.

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

This is a very simple poem. But I like it very much. As the poem said, recently, an ordinary thing like a cup of coffee or a book or a film can make me happy and content like never before. The experience is new to me. And I enjoy cooking as a housewife. I love this kind of life. I’m glad I exist.