Long ago
letters were thoughtless
compartmentalized
in walls of wood
lined in metal
alone as they were
dull
strung together
blossomed
broad thoughts
narrow concepts
soft guilt
hard passion
letters
singular
sideways upside down
gathering residue
together
prescient
wipe clean
return home
job box
alone again
’til evenings events
rally
once more
May you dream of beautiful transient letters making gorgeous journeys…
Above: Long ago, individual metal letters for traditional typesetting were kept organized in job boxes. The boxes were actually drawers that slid into a larger metal cabinet. Today, these boxes are considered antiques. I was given a plain wooden job box in exchange for a painting I did for someone. I painted the box and added my kiddies plastic toys, when they no longer had need of them. 🙂
anntogether 
So much fun:) Love the wee animals.
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Thank you. It was fun putting together 🙂
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Well, hot type (I mean, “damn”), I love the poem. And that 2nd stanza is to sing for. You know, I’d forgotten those boxes were called “job boxes” (actually, I’m not sure I ever knew that), but I do remember typesetters very well. I used to tell students about them and they just sat there and looked at me like I was goofball or something. All those typesetters out of jobs — thanks to computers! Love what you’ve done with your job box, too, btw. Ah, your post today (2 in one day!) takes me back ….
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For some reason, I woke up with the box in my head – talk about being “boxed in” 😉
I wrote this, this morning after 1 cup of coffee and finished it before the second.
It was a bit fast – after I hit send – I thought – perhaps I shouldn’t have – but I guess I was thinking “outside the box” this am 😉 AM
Thank you
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“Thinking outside the box” works remarkably well for you, I must say. The poem was a morning “gift,” which you were wise to accept. [Tommy Dorsey, “Blue Skies” now playing] And written with only 1 cup of coffee, too! Glad you hit “send”: you should have. 🙂 Thank you!
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Love Dorsey – music is so very spectacular – thank God for musicians! I wouldn’t want to make art in a music-less world 🙂
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