Odd Socks Options

[Guest_Nina_*]

Odd Socks (revised)

A pair of odd socks
tucked in a drawer:
one blue,
one black flecked with white;
long ill-matched;
hidden in darkness,
never proudly displayed.

I should separate them;
initiate search for their mates.
Yet something stops me -
fear of change?
loneliness worries?
habit?

I’ve grown used to them paired,
so they lie
folded together;
one blue,
one black  flecked with white;
growing old
trapped.


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Odd Socks (original)

A pair of odd socks
tucked in a drawer:
one blue,
one black, flecked with white;
ill-matched for so long;
hiding in darkness
never proudly displayed.

I should separate them;
initiate search for their mate.
Yet something stops me -
fear for change?
thoughts of loneliness?
habit?

I’ve grown used to seeing them paired,
so there they lie
folded together;
one blue,
one black, flecked with white;
gathering dust,
growing old.

[Guest_Jox_*]

Odd Socks

A pair of odd socks
tucked in a drawer:
one blue,
one black, flecked with white;
ill-matched for so long; (Maybe: long ill-matched)
hiding in darkness
never proudly displayed.

I should separate them;
initiate search for their mate.
Yet something stops me -
fear {for}[of] change?
thoughts of loneliness? (Maybe: loneliness worries)
habit?

I’ve grown used to seeing them paired,
so there they lie[,]
folded together;
one blue,
one black, flecked with white;
gathering dust,
growing old

Hi Nina,

Some suggestions, above.

This poem, I find very sad. It is (to me) a reflection on the Human Condition. It is how we pair when young and them so often drift apart: sock metaphor  excellent - one going left, t’other right: the parting of the ways but remaining together.

As usual, I haven’t read any other crits - I shall in a minute. But for me, this has nothing whatsoever to do with socks - yet it does work on that level, if one so desires. For me, this plunges the depth of the sock drawer of life and is very disturbing - because it is so true. Very well done indeed. I can’t honestly say I enjoyed it but it is superb writing - which is why I didn’t enjoy it!

Great stuff. Well done.

James.