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Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: From the Ball of Fluff Under Your Bed

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It’s Poetry Friday and I am so glad to be posting for the second Friday in a row, following a big break. This week I was lucky enough to travel to Sydney, and to visit a wonderful school called St John Vianney’s  in the suburb of Doonside.

I was there to work with two wonderful year 5 classes, and we spent much of the day reading, writing and talking about poetry. The aim was to get them to have at least one poem drafted by the end of the day. But – amazingly – nearly every child had three poems drafted or started, and every child had two whole poems drafted. That is amazing work and left me filled with joy.

So today I thought I’d share one of my poems which I shared with the children in Doonside. I wanted to model how a free verse poem can be used to explore all kinds of topics, and to see how voice can dictate what we ‘see’ in a poem, but also how it is up to the reader to interact, and it is the reader’s experience of the poem whcih ultimately determines the poem’s reception.

I chose this poem  to use, with others, because when I wrote it I thought it was a bit-of-fun poem, but one of my university colleagues, when she read it, saw it as sad because of what it says about a child fearing their parent. She wasn’t wrong, and neither was I: every reader should be allowed to have their own response to what they read. This is an important lesson for poets to learn, whether they be in year 5 or hold a doctorate in poetry.

Amway, here’s the poem. I’d love to hear your response.

From the ball of fluff under your bed

I mean you no harm.

Honestly.

I did not even mean to be here,

brought into simple existence

by your refusal to keep

this part of your bedroom tidy.

Yet here I am,

lurking behind five odd socks

last week’s homework

and a mouldy apple core

(which I wish you’d remove).

Come midnight

I will not transform into a monster

and scare you witless

or drink your blood

or mutter and moan .

No, at midnight –

and at every other hour,

come to think of it –

I will continue to be

just a ball of fluff.

But heed this warning:

even a humble ball of fluff

knows that the time is coming

when you will shake with fear.

Yes – one day,

one day soon

your mother

(perhaps lured by the smell of that apple core)

will lift the edge of your bedspread

and see

the socks

the homework

the apple core

and me.

And then there will be trouble.

(Poem Copyright Sally Murphy)

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales. Brenda’s contribution is absolutely wonderful – and you might see, as you read it, that I was amazed we had both chosen unusual voices or narrators for our poems. Head over there to see what other poetry goodness is being shared in the blogosphere. Have a great Friday and a great week to come.

Comments

  1. Love hearing the voice of the fluff! Wonder what the weeds in my garden have to say?!?

  2. I love your description of your lesson about voice/perspective/interpretation. I’m learning that a powerful poem is not necessarily powerful in the same way to all listeners, and that there must be moments of silence at the end for everyone to make a heart-connection of its own flavor. Meaningful ball of fluff!

  3. Like Linda, I know my ‘former’ middle-school kids would love this.They did leave a few lunch bits like apple cores in their lockers, too, among other unnamed things. Yet, there is a sense of unease, too; it could be the other way. Love that you wrote this and shared it. Sally.

    • Thanks Linda. I remember the particular smell of mouldy food found deep in my schoolbag – and revisited the smell when I had kids of my own.

  4. This poem made me laugh. Fortunately for the balls of fluff in my house, I am the mother–and I’m not likely to look under the bed. It should be safe from trouble–at least until we move the furniture.
    And yes, it is so important to remember that the reader makes meaning with the words, too, and brings unique understanding. I saw a quote about this very thing, but did I grab a pen and paper at the time? No, and now I’ve lost it.

    • Thanks Kay. Moving furniture is always a hazard isn’t it? Every time I move house I shudder at what we might find.
      Glad you connected with the reader response part of my post, too.

  5. I think it’s FUNNY! I’d love my middle schoolers to read this one….because I guarantee they will totally get it. I guess that’s why poems are so interesting…the response really depends on the reader’s own back story.

    • Thanks Linda. I would be very happy for you to share this with your middle schoolers. I would love to hear their reactions.

  6. I’m so glad you shared the two perspectives on your one delightful poem. Isn’t it fascinating to consider how we all have our own unique response to words, poems, etc.? Your poem reminds me of April Pulley Sayre’s wonderful book, Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust. Your ball of fluff has many tales to tell!

    • I agree Jane – very lovely. Sometimes work just doesn’t seem like work. Living the dream!
      And of course, I’d much rather be working with young poets than de-fluffing my house.

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