The Betrayal of Everyday Things

I've been taking a rest after the madness that is April and Napowrimo. I was beginning to think I'd exhausted my ability to think in poetical terms,  and then i came across Pat Schneider's excellent poem The Patience of Ordinary Things.  It's one that struck a chord the first time I came across it - such a simple but unique way of looking at everyday objects.  

Here is my rather dark homage to Schneider's poem - I  feel it's almost a betrayal of its generous sentiment. 


The Betrayal of Everyday Things

It is a sign of ageing, is it not?
How blister packs proliferate on each doctor's visit,
And take root between the salt and pepper,
How chairs suck you into their embrace,
And need arms to ease your escape,
How the floor is no longer a space to play on,
But a thing to be avoided by your seat,
How the soles of shoes are chosen for their grip.
I've been thinking about the betrayal
Of everyday things.  How toes
Have become too far away to welcome socks,
And trainers have morphed into slip-ins,
And a cane is the perfect fashion accessory.
And what is more grudging than the stairs? 


© Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.




For those of you unfamiliar with the inspiration: 

The Patience of Ordinary Things by Pat Schneider

It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they’re supposed to be.
I’ve been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?

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