A year ago this week, I moved into my own studio apartment. It was an unsteady year that involved a job loss, periods of extreme isolation, and the questioning of nearly everything in my life. However, there was one consistent source of comfort: my new home. I poured my heart and soul into making my apartment the very best she can be. Now, I honor her with a poem.
But first, let me state that I really don’t know anything about poetry. In my senior year of high school, I was assigned a project in which I was tasked with writing poems in multiple different styles. One of them was free verse, aka no rules. I think I submitted something along these lines:
My name is Gregory
This is my poem
Goodbye
I was tempted to make it easy on myself and repeat that style here. But then I remembered that there’s something special about rhymes. People win arguments with rhymes. Think “silence is violence” or “smelt it, dealt it.” Case closed. If it rhymes, it’s true. More importantly, rhymes sound nice, and my home deserves something nice.
Enough chatter, here it is. We hope you like it.
My dear apartment, you may be small
But oh how I cherish thee;
Number six on the left, straight down the hall…
You are where I like to be.
Life got weird, I needed out
And then you came along;
Packed my bags, no need to pout,
I found where I belong.
Week by week and piece by piece
I worked so hard to make you shine;
New couch, new chair, new bed, new sheets
Who knew my knack for interior design!
I still shower you with gifts
And clean obsessively;
You’ll be the best damn bachelor pad that exists!
You have my guarantee.
Perhaps one day we’ll add a third
With your consent of course;
Maybe a dog, or a cat, or a fish, or a bird…
A companion of sorts.
Or there may come a time when we have to part ways
But for now, it’s still you and me,
And since nights can get lonesome, I mean when I say
Thank you for your company.
Here’s one of my favorite poems: