The inspiration for the following piece came from a writing workshop I attended led by the poet, Jovan Mays.
Underneath my floorboards, I’ll leave:
The mistakes I made; and the learning that grew from those tangled vines.
A book of questions I still have unanswered.
Journals, unfinished writings, and candy wrappers.
Children’s books. Lots of them. Each one with a note attached: “Read what you love.”
My worries. An airtight jar containing one big sigh of relief that those worries were never really important.
A letter to be given to a young gay man or woman. A letter that simply says: You are loved. You are a gift to the world. Whenever you doubt who you are, read this note again and again.
The keys to my car for a fast getaway.
Keith collections. Little things that I collected here and there for someone new to treasure or toss.
A list of my favorite things.
Memories scribbled down in random order.
I’ll leave these things, and many more in the years to come, underneath my floorboards.
What will you leave?
livelifelovewords 
This idea is wonderful. I want to write my own rendition of this. I have been writing little notes to my children and tucking them away for year now.
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Beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
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I love this!! Thanks so much for sharing it!
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So many thoughts left to be inferred by these words. Truly a poem from the heart. Now you have me pondering, but how could I ever match the choice words you have written. I keep looking at this line: “The mistakes I made; and the learning that grew from those tangled vines.” That speaks to me.
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Thanks for the feedback. I think I could revise this a million times. It was a challenge to hit “publish” because I didn’t know if it was ready. I’m enjoying getting to know you through your posts, Elsie. Thanks for taking the time to read my slices over the past few days. Happy Sunday!
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This has so much heart. I loved it.
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What a great concept for a slice. I love the words you chose and understand the hesitancy to hit publish sometimes. You just want it to be perfect. I love this version. I’d like to borrow the line underneath my floorboards for a post down the road if that is alright with you?
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Thanks for the kind feedback. You absolutely should write your own floorboards slice!
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I love the overall concept and structure of this poem! And the images you include…just beautiful, so detailed and evocative. Upon rereading, I noticed that everything (except the candy wrappers, but that’s debatable) you decided to include under the floorboards is a gift for someone else. Just like the writing you are posting here for others to find…
I know that feeling about not really knowing if you’re ready to publish. Something I will leave under my floorboards for others to find is a handwritten collection of my favorite quotes. It will certainly contain this one:
A poem is never finished; it is only abandoned. – Paul Valery
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Thanks for your feedback and thoughts. This was a tough one to pin down, and your quote really gave me something to think about. Thanks for sharing that!
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What a beautiful poem! It is very thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing. It reminds me of The Littlest Angel.
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