To The Swirled Plaster Ceiling
Plaster blooms above the bed,
a constellation of flowers
from the scrabbled bushes out front.
And in the living room–a window big
as a daydream and twice as dirty:
refracting spider webs in a trender neglect.
The refrigerator thrums dust through the floorboards.
Outside, a hoisted-up neighbor downshifts
his too-big truck, a groan
Of brakes and the smell of diesel.
This is the garden I know:
This bed of quiet
listening.
LexPoMo friends, it’s always such a pleasure to read your work and comment with you. I look forward to this chance to write. I’ll be rereading your poems and look forward to seeing you again, hopefully sooner than LexPoMo 2026!
32 thoughts on "To The Swirled Plaster Ceiling"
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love this shaun! painting the room as a garden… i like that imagery. thank you for your stellar poems and kind words this month!
Thank you so much, Carter. I’ve enjoyed sharing words and comments with you!
Particularly enjoyed the imagery in the last stanza. Thank you for your poems this month. And for your comments on mine.
Take care.
Thank you, Karen! I look forward to reading more of your work soon!
Wonderful, as always. I especially like
‘refracting spider webs in a trender neglect.’
I also thank you for your kind comments this month!
Thank you, Leah, and likewise! I appreciate your perspective and poems!
It’s been a pleasure, Shaun. There is such peace in this poem. I plan to reread them all for a deeper look. You have such a gift!
Thank you, Sylvia. I admire your work and appreciate you!
I’m ready for “this bed of quiet listening” after a month of scrambling and cobbling words together, You do it so well, Shaun. Thanks for sharing and have a great summer!
You, too, Bill–and thank you! I def need some rest after the LexPoMo flurry too!
Adore that last stanza in particular.
Be well, friend!
Thank you, Joseph! And you as well!
Love the imagery. Last stanza is perfect.
Thank you for all your kind comments and your poems thus month!
“a window big / as a daydream” Wow.
Beautiful poem! That last stanza brings it all together– and ends this month so well.
I will miss your poetry–and I’m glad of the reminder we can visit here often, revisit our favorite poets! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your poetry.
Thank you for your perspective on the work of poem-making and your poems too!
Adore this poem and its incredible landing:
“This is the garden I know:
This bed of quiet
listening.”
Thank you for sharing your work and for being a part of the conversation about my work. Learned lots and was encouraged!
I, too, plan on rereading poems through the year until we gather again in June.
Hope we cross paths! Are you going to Hindman AWW?
It’s always a pleasure, Pam. I could not swing Hindman applications this year but am debating coming down anyway for the keynote!
Beautiful poem, beautifully crafted. Sings so tranquilly. Peace, Shaun
Thank you so much!
Shaun, It has been amazing reading your entries . . . your words so poignant and your comments on pieces you’ve read so tender and encouraging, thank you!
I’ve appreciated so much being a part of this Kentucky Community of wordsmiths and thank you for all the times you have read and commented on my poems.
Until then,
Darlene
Thank you for your kindness and your poetry, Darlene!
I love this poem as you describe everything around you from your bed and the connection to it all being a surrounding garden referring to the flowers in the plaster–(!) It creates a perfect visualization and in reading it feels like you are there…. It is a wonderful poem! Thank you….And I must thank you for all the support you have given me this season of LEXPOMO. this summer by reading and leaving me so many thoughtful comments—I really have appreciated your support and kind words. It has meant a lot–Thank you and good writing ahead for you!!
Thank you Ann! I’m so grateful for your generosity and writing too–and look forward to reading more of it!
Ditto Carter’s praise of how you describe your room as a garden. I love your finely-crafted adjectives. “Scrabbled bushes” and “retracted spider webs” are just two. Thank you for sharing your work and being so generous in your comments!
Thank you, Rosemarie, for your poems and kind comments–I appreciate the time and effort it takes!
Shaun, due to other commitments, I’ve not been able to read your poems this month, but plan to catch back later in the summer. You are an amazing poet; I have much to learn from you. Thanks so much for reading my poems!
Thank you, Libby! I feel like I’ve learned a lot from your poems, too, and appreciate you!
And in the living room–a window big
as a daydream and twice as dirty:
refracting spider webs in a trender neglect.
wow–you weave such potent images, Shaun. I’m behind on reading all the poems you wrote this month, and am looking forward to catching up on all. Inspiring!
Thanks so much, Elaine! It’s almost a part-time job to keep up now that there so many of us!
Shaun, you’re able to bring us into a moment so well. I can smell and feel what you’re describing and you make the every day more meaningful through your words. I look forward to seeing more of your work and so very much appreciate the dedication you have to providing feedback to so many and so well.
May you be blessed.
Thank you so much, Bud. It’s been so good to share this community and learn from your work too.