Sometimes I print out poems and hang them up around Snowfort. Here’s one that hangs in the short hallway between the bookstore and the White Room.
The Orange
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.
— Wendy Cope
For a long time I read that last line as “I love you. I’m glad you exist” instead of “I exist,” as Cope wrote it. That small unexpected tweak affects the reading so much. It makes me go back to the line, “This peace and contentment. It’s new.” Without saying anything directly, it becomes clear that the speaker has survived something. Right?
Hot tip! We happen to have one copy of this amazing book left in stock. I heartily recommend buying it and leaving it around to dabble in. It’s a great collection to pick up, read a poem, and be changed. It’s a nice one to surprise houseguests with, too. If I had an inn, I would put this book in every room—it offers the kind of delight that hits quick and sticks with you.