Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry: From the Toy Box

Edited and introduced by Wesley McNair, Maine Poet Laureate

The connection between poetry and prayer has often been mentioned, preparing us for this week’s poem by a veteran poet and long-time Maine resident, Nancy Henry.

From the Toy Box by Nancy Henry

God
they sent me to tell you
none of us can help it.
Can’t operate correctly,
can’t fly, won’t wind up,
can’t even make a start
for the tops of those clouds.
So many pieces melted,
bent, skewed, pocked,
utterly undermined with rust.

What we want to know:
when this ends,
how will you decide 
which ones of us
are most broken,
how will you choose
which ones of us
to throw away?

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Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry is produced in collaboration with the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance. Poem copyright © 2002 by Nancy Henry. Reprinted from SARX, Moon Pie Press, 2010, by permission of Nancy Henry. Questions about submitting to Take Heart may be directed to David Turner, Special Assistant to the Maine Poet Laureate, at poetlaureate@mainewriters.org or 207-228-8263.