Poem Of The Week - Last Mattress by Marilyn Nelson

Hi friends, today's poem is taken from the poets.org poem a day email list. (It's free - if you're not signed up, you're missing out!)

Last Mattress

by Marilyn Nelson

This $1,600 slice of foam, if it stays firm, will be the last mattress I’ll ever buy. It’s comfortable enough for years of sleeps, for the long, thwarted hours of scribbling sentences, or to step from into the surrey with the fringe on top. Given the choice between flat-lining here, and1,000,000other possibilities for the time when my pronouns and now end— I’d pick my bed, and passing on with good dreams.

One jot, on this little blue and green globe where life evolved, and consciousness, and hope.

It was such a joy to receive this poem in my inbox the other day. I've read this a few times and seem to find something new each time.

'Slice of foam' is such a beautiful image to describe a mattress. It just makes it sound soft and comfortable.

There's also something kind of romantic about 'It's comfortable enough / for years of sleeps'. We all know the comfort of having a good mattress but having one good enough to last years and years just sounds super rested and cosy.

More than that, the poet even tells us that she writes in bed. I used to do this and it's not overly comfortable to be honest. Not on my mattress anyway. But she's describing the mattress as being comfortable enough to write on but also private enough to write there, too.

I love the 'Oklahoma!' reference.

The section beginning 'Given the choice' just makes me feel calm. I know a lot of people want to pass on in bed but the imagery of passing on 'with good dreams' is even more beautiful.

I can't wait to hear what you all think!