Cakes

Shining and sticky, they sit on the tray, won't be there forever, I know, so they tempt,

embarrassed I even want one, me, I am so, can't bring myself to take one, no

one wants items such as these anymore, say “items” to distance, hope it will cure 

the trauma of longing, “item” sounds tasteless, generic, but we know they are cakes, 

luscious, sugar filled, raisins bursting, covered with cinnamon and deepest darkest 

chocolate. I will have to act soon. Life is slipping from under my fingers. 

And they stretch. They want.

Today's poem is inspired by an exercise from 'The Music of the Line', a chapter in The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux: Take a draft of a poem and rewrite it in the following ways:

very short lines

very long lines

some length in between

in three-line stanzas

in five-line stanzas

You will probably find yourself changing some of the words as you try out the various versions, adding and deleting material.

My favourite version was the one with longer lines. I tend towards shorter lines in my poems, so it was great to break out!