William Carlos Williams Poems For Introverts

“The Red Wheelbarrow”

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

especially when

someone

stares at it instead

of you

- - -

“This Is Just to Say”

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

It is

so much

easier

for me

to tell you this

in a note

rather than

in person

- - -

“Poem (As the Cat)”

As the cat

climbed over

the top of

the jamcloset

I watched and

spent

time replaying

an awkward conversation

with a stranger

in my head

Also, why do I

have a closet full of jam?

- - -

“Between Walls”

the back wings

of the

hospital where

nothing

will grow is

a good

place to hide

from

all sorts of

people

- - -

“The Dark Day”

A three-day-long conference back east—

an interminable talking, talking

of no consequence — patter, patter, patter.

Off topic audience questions

inundate each speaker.

Bathroom. Hiding. Seclusion.

A few passers-by, stop outside the stall,

and still try to chat.

Lunch and dinner meetings! there is no escape! —

An interminable talking, talking,

talking… it has happened before.

And it will happen again.