Time’s Calm

Posted bywordsandcoffee1Posted inCancer, Poetry, W3 PromptsTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , 
The stillness of that year,
captured in still frames,
plucks at my veins
like the IV needle.
We drive to the hospital,
to empty waiting rooms,
to masked faces
and empty eyes
to perdition,
or so it seems.

Still, that waiting room haunts me,
awakening masked emotions.
But time passes smoothly
through the eyes of a needle,
until the ghost of that year fades,
wavering in my mind's eye,
and I find calm 
in the stillness.

This poem was written for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt #162. This was quite a powerful prompt to return to after a few weeks out of the W3 due to an overwhelming schedule. Still, I gave it a try! Below is all the information related to the prompt:

Mama’s Voice in the Kitchen, a poem by Bob Lynn
II. Bob’s prompt: “Echoes in Ordinary Spaces”
Part 1: Inspiration Piece

Read “Mama’s Voice in the Kitchen” carefully. It explores grief, memory, and how everyday spaces can hold powerful emotions. Pay attention to the use of domestic imagery, repetition, and a personal, authentic voice that helps create a sense of closeness with the reader.

Part 2: Guidelines

Write a poem inspired by “Mama’s Voice in the Kitchen.” Be sure to include both of the following elements:

a. Required Poetic Device: Repetition/Anaphora

Your poem must include deliberate repetition of a word, phrase, or sentence structure at least three times throughout the piece. This could be:

  • The same word beginning multiple lines or stanzas
  • A repeated phrase that acts as a refrain
  • Parallel sentence structures that create rhythm and emphasis

Example from the inspiration piece: “keep cookin’”, “keep settin’”, “keep talkin’”

b. Required Word: “Still”

Your poem must incorporate the word “still” at least twice. This word can function as:

  • An adverb indicating continuation (“I still remember…”)
  • An adjective describing quietness (“the still morning”)
  • A verb meaning to calm or quiet (“to still the waters”)

This word connects to the poem’s themes of persistence, memory, and the tension between movement and stillness in grief.

Additional Notes
  • Your poem should explore how physical spaces hold emotional significance
  • Consider writing in an authentic voice that feels personal and conversational
  • There are no restrictions on length, form, or rhyme scheme
  • Focus on creating vivid, sensory details that ground your emotions in concrete imagery

23 thoughts on “Time’s Calm”

  1. Thank you Sarah – this poem beautifully captures the weight of medical anxiety and the gradual journey toward eventual healing. Your use of ‘still’ creates a powerful tension between stagnation and peace, while the needle imagery masterfully connects physical and emotional pain. The progression from haunting hospital memories to finding calm feels authentic and deeply hopeful. Your voice is genuine and vulnerable, making this intensely personal experience universally relatable and emotionally touching. Truly exceptional and deeply moving creative work.

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  3. “time passes smoothly / through the eyes of a needle” feels especially poignant to me, Sarah—the gentle echo of trauma and healing in those lines really caught me. I feel the calm you describe as earned, not assumed.

    ~David

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  10. Muri’s comment, “a cashmere calm” describes the feeling your poem evokes, beautifully. Your opening two lines, “The stillness of that year,
    captured in still frames,” are cinematic. Your description of the needle is so powerful. 👏 And I love your photograph. 🥰 wonderful poem, Sarah.

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