Another post

Long time readers of the blog may recall that I was going to post a really good poem about missing your wife a while back, but was unable to find it. In lieu of the very good poem, I created my own poem that veered into disturbing paths that none of us wish to retread. Suffice it to say that there was mention made of pizza, Breakin' 2 and nudity. Anyway I'm proud to say that those days are behind us and that I have found the poem I was looking for way back then. It was written by a man named John Talbot (a former professor of mine) and published in "Poetry" magazine. I really like it. What do you think?

SHAVINGS

You gone, I thought to look
for warmth in the pith of trees,
so I went to the chopping-block,
taught axe's edge to kiss
soft knotty-hearted pine
whose sinews might warm mine.

Matchstick's rasp, blue chuff:
the fine-shaved kindling caught,
curled into twenty fists
that cupped their fingers shut
till fire fastened to the wood
and wooed it close and hot
and soon the room was warm enough
but I was not.

I just really like this poem. It's like Shrek in that it has layers. It's proper and restrained (not like Shrek) but as you continue to read you start to get a feeling for the "soft [naughty]-hearted pin[ing]" that runs throughout the poem. I love the way he uses the sounds of the words to convey a mood. I love the subtle half-rhymes. I really like how well he captures the mood in the home when your wife is away. Very nice. What do you folks think?