Painful Propositions
A poem by Rachel Landrum Crumble

Painful Propositions

Shame is an old metallic aftertaste
of a bitter pill for masking symptoms
and curing nothing
when I can’t have what I want.

Unmet need rings like distant bell buoys
warning off the rocky coast:
No return. No return.

Wisdom lets the storm in the teapot
brew, concentrating its strength,
then cool so it doesn’t scald
the roof of the world.

I am now asked to fulfill an extinguished
desire, inhabit a constricted role,
live in a familiar foreign town
that doesn’t see me.

In dreams, I solve the math problem of pain,
then wake without the formula.

About the Author:

Rachel Landrum Crumble recently retired from teaching high school, having previously taught kindergarten through college. She has published in The Porterhouse Review, Typishly, SheilaNaGig, and Common Ground Review, Spoon River Review, The Banyan Review and others. Her first poetry collection, Sister Sorrow, was published by Finishing Line Press in January 2022. She lives with her husband of 42 years, a jazz drummer, and near 2 of their 3 adult children, and two adorable grand twins.  poetteachermom.com is her website. 

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