Meaning of Redemption for a Writer, a Lion, and a Comb

A poem about the power of redemption

Photo by Naypong Studio

This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 5.

Today we’d like you to start by taking a look at Alicia Ostriker’s poem, “The Blessing of the Old Woman, the Tulip, and the Dog.” Now try your hand at writing your own poem about how a pair or trio very different things would perceive of a blessing or, alternatively, how these very different things would think of something else (luck, grief, happiness, etc).

I find redemption every day
said the writer—
      as she crafted narratives,
      gave voice to complex characters—
by weaving my characters’ stories with my own,
healing my old wounds.

I found redemption
said the lion—
      mouth open in a yawn,
      golden mane shimmering in the sun—
by becoming a guardian of the wild, 
protecting the fragile balance of nature.

I seek redemption, 
said the old comb—
      as it lay forgotten
      on the chest of drawers—
by bringing order to chaos,
restoring confidence and beauty.

Thanks very much for reading, subscribing, and sharing the stories, poetry, and essays in this space. If you like a story, poem, or essay, please click on the heart. Also if you are so moved, please leave a comment.