Feeling to find it

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 13 Feb 2024
  • 330 reads
11 comments
 

Off to a night-time bathroom visit
she goes,
touching the bed rail, the door handle …
climbing back under the duvet …
now where’s that bottle to warm her toes?
Stretch down, poke her legs around
(doesn’t want to wake him,
by the bed shaking!)
fan the feet
one set of toes meet,
touch a warm lump
a far-down hump
let the feet enfold it
hold it, pull it
knees bend to slide it
up
fingers linger for a while
then push away
down there to stay
til wanted again,
BUMP!
fallen to the floor.
Better not leave it,
better retrieve it
or soon what cold comfort!
Hug once again,
and then
push it down carefully
to spread its heat
gently up to her feet,
keep the bed warm
as she drifts back to sleep.

[IP: describe something, someone or a scene by using any sense but sight. Make us see it without describing what it actually looks like.]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Humour
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

Lovely, Rhiannon, very relatable! I identify with this particularly - if I have to get up in the night I often don't put the light on because I don't want to wake myself up any more than necessary and thus have a problem getting back to sleep. My kids think I'm bonkers.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. it was in the night, I thought suddenly that that is something I can describe by feel! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I try to do this not waking up thing myself, Rhiannon, but I'm always met on the landing by an infestation of cats that all want to dive in to drink running water from the tap in the bathroom washbasin. To me it seems I waste my time.

The difficulties you highlighted in your poem made me feel like I'm not alone in this world.   

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks! I have to put the light on in the bathroom itself, but try to keep half-awake. But I thought finding that bottle is certainly something I can describe as a 'feeling for it, not looking for it' way, which was the IP challenge! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for the cherries for this bit of fun! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

I've had a few of those nights this winter. Hot water bottles, thermal tops, a cat behind my legs that doesn't want to move. You can't beat a hot water bottle, even the smell of them makes me feel warmer. As children we called them 'hottlepottles'. The one on the photo has a beatuful cover.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thanks! It's only recently I've tended to push it a bit away, but glad to reach it up at such times sometimes! But searching and pulling it up can be a bit difficult! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

We use plastic heat pads that get warmed in the microwave. When they fall out of bed they make a banging noise as they hit the floor. There's nothing more comfy than taking a hot water bottle or something similar with you at night. I could relate to the poem and the imagery was strong. Nicely done, Rhiannon.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. We have had those pads in the past, but not at present. I think my mother-in-law found them useful for arthritis. Mustn't over-heat them!

I was baffled at first by the idea of the IP. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

When it's loadshedding you wake up to pitch blackness and it goes bump-bump stagger stumble fall-fall in the dark where am I now where? finally the loo itself and now? To aim? Try the shower instead now you get into big trouble, I know but what must you do? The women tend to be fanatic about these things lucky I'm not married!

Keep well! Tom
 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Do you use any candles (carefully!) or torches? when we haven't had electric blackouts for a while, I tend to forget where I have put them. Rhiannon