Knock on Wood

A poem about finding solace in an ancient belief

Photo by Ziyan Yang

This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 6.

Today’s we’d like to challenge you to write a poem rooted in “weird wisdom,” by which we mean something objectively odd that someone told you once, and that has stuck with you ever since. Need an example? Check out Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Making a Fist.”

In the depths of despair,
      When the walls closed in,
      And homelessness beckoned me,
      Did I utter it in sorrow's embrace?
When love turned to dust,
      And my heart lay shattered,
      With a child in my arms,
      Did I whisper it through tears?
When my friend ventured afar,
      To distant lands 
      And foreign shores,
      Did I murmur it longing for his safe return?
And when he returned,
      And love bloomed 
      Like a vibrant flower,
      Did I breathe it with joy?
      
A thousand times and more
                                                 I say, “knock on wood,”
                                                                              Then do it,
                                                                                        To ward off misfortune, 
                    Summon fortune's favor.

(I even follow the trend of using my knuckles to rap on my head)

Yes, a touch of superstition, finding solace
In the ancient belief of
Beseeching the spirits of sacred trees,
To guard against the forces of darkness.

Now, envision it as a prayer,
A call to the benevolent divine,
As I knock on the gates,
To awaken the blessings of heaven.

Author’s Note

I have two posts today. This is the first. The other one was scheduled before I decided to participate in NaPoWriMo 2024. Look for that one later today.

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