New Pencil

Poem No. 96

I typically write short, somewhat melancholy poems. But typically is not always — some of my poems are long, others lighthearted, and every so often one really sneaks up on me and manages to be both.

A few years ago, Petra returned home from shopping and presented me with an unexpected gift — a fancy new pencil. She suggested it had potent potential as a dedicated poetry pencil, so I took her advice and sat down to give it a try:

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New Pencil

This is your first word, pencil,
and what a good word, "this".
Multipurpose!
Container of possibilities!

Yes, you're doing fine, pencil,
with your green paint 
and the bubblegum tongue 
of your eraser

waggling up at me,
ready to remove 
a smudge or two 
from the world.

That's what they call a 'simile', 
by the way, new pencil —
bubblegum tongue.
No, it's not. 

That was actually a metaphor,
but don't be embarrassed.
You're new, pencil,
and even I had to look it up again

just now. It is, indubitably,
an easy mistake to make.
Also, let's never do 
"indubitably" again, okay?

I don't think it's on brand 
for you and I, pencil,
and I must say, so far
we make a great team!

I can't wait to spend 
the next few years
excavating the poems 
buried in your lead.

Oooh! I like that imagery!
Well done, new pencil!
Indubitably.
Ha! I see what you did there!

Yes, this is going very well.
This will be fun.
This makes me wonder, new pencil,
what your last word will be.

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(One fact about my pencil that sadly didn’t make it into the poem? It glows in the dark. 😱)

Though my poetry does tend to be short and cozy-sad, when I write fiction with Petra it tends to be much more lightheared and playful. We’ve been hard at work these past few months on both our upcoming rerelease of Manly Hero and in getting ready to publish the sequel, and I think it’s put me in a more playful mindset, which then got me thinking about this week’s poem. (If you’re curious about said playful fiction, there’s a nice sample of Manly Hero on Petra’s website.)

Thanks for reading,
~ A

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