The Writer's writers

I am in the mood for poetry. But somehow not my own. I find solace in the words of others today and so I turn to this old favorite book of mine Soft Songs. Saundra Sharp is one of my favorite. I am reading a poem that has stuck with me all these years (and there are too many to count). Lonesome and Lonely. I love it because it is so true. And so I'd like to share it with you here because some poems are too big to be confined in a book.

Lonesome and Lonely Ain't the Same
by Saundray Sharp

Lonely is
walking around tryin' to look like the morning after
when there wasn't no night before

Lonesome is
having something good happen
(like hitting the number)
(or getting back a quarter from the pay phone)
and wanting to share the news

Lonely is
having no one to tell

Lonesome is
doing your ironing on Saturday night
instead of Saturday afternoon

Lonesome is
talking back to your television

Lonely is
talking back to your television when it isn't on

Lonely is
lying next to you,
wondering if that's where you should be?

Lonesome is
sleeping on one side of an empty bed

Lonely is
telling folks you can't sleep good
unless you're by yourself

Lonesome is
reading a book without seeing the words

Lonesome is
counting the days

Lonely is
trying to ignore the nights

Lonesome is
watching Lawrence Welk without realizing it

Lonesome is
when blues songs sound like love songs

Lonely is
when all blues songs sound like they were
written for and about you

Lonesome and lonely ain't the same
One's sweet, the other is pain.