I love poetry. I think it’s a beautiful way to express oneself – you leave a little bit of yourself in every poem that you write. You gain new perspective in every poem you read. Honestly, I think more people should take a stab at it. There’s this idea out there that you have to be some prophetic wordsmith to write good poems, but I think that’s bullshit. A poem can be a lot of things – it can be thought-provoking, emotional, funny, observational, or a myriad of other things…at its core, it’s an extension of the author, no matter how eloquent, no matter how simple. And, everyone is capable of authoring their own story. Maybe I’m oversimplifying it, but poetry was always something I excelled at in school, and wanted to revisit. Now, I’m thinking I’ll end up combining it with my short fiction and select essays that I’m particularly proud of and that will ultimately become my book that no one will read and no one will probably even publish, but I’m too ambitious for my own good so I’m going to try anyway.
What was I saying? I feel like things took a turn there…
Oh yeah – I told you guys a few weeks ago that “SoBros Poetry” was on the way, and it’s finally here: SoBroetry. I have about five different pieces that are half-finished, but this one just happened to be the first to make it to the finish line. I wrote this poem as soon as I got back from my bachelor party at a cabin rental in Baxter, Tennessee. It’s largely exaggerated to accentuate my main takeaway – that you do have the power to make the most of a situation. We had a great time despite some minor inconveniences, and it really hit me as a lesson in how to focus on what’s important. No matter what was going on, we never let it dampen our mood. There wasn’t a whole lot of complaining as this piece would indicate, but I came away from the weekend thinking, “man….the boys could’ve really let _______ get to them and they didn’t.” It was special to me…so I put pen to paper and here we are.
Now, I decided to call it “a shitty rental” after we found out the Vrbo host gave us a poor rating after we left. Petty? Sure. Do I give a fuck? No. Enjoy.
A Shitty Rental in Baxter
Our heat is out.
Cold seeps in through every crack in the wall.
I hear, “what are we going to do about the cold?”
“It’s spring time. There’s a nip in the air, but it won’t freeze. And, I have a heavy blanket,” I reply.
There’s food residue in the coffee mugs.
We pull one out of the cupboard after the other.
I hear, “what the hell are we going to drink out of?”
“We have running water and dish soap,” I reply.
The hot tub isn’t working as advertised.
We won’t be able to take in the stars from a steamy tub.
I hear, “what a letdown.”
“I forgot to pack my bathing suit anyway,” I reply.
The microwave just crapped out.
It appears as though this entire outlet is down.
I hear, “what now?”
“Well, the popcorn has already finished popping,” I reply.
The hike down to the lake was way too steep.
Rough terrain made it difficult to even find the proper footing.
I hear, “what are we even doing here?”
“I definitely needed the exercise,” I reply.
There was no kindling in the bucket.
All the accessible wood was wet from morning showers.
I hear, “well now we can’t have a bonfire”
“It was nice to sit and listen to the wind regardless,” I reply.
We should get what we pay for, that is understood.
But, we shouldn’t lose sight of how easily the best laid plans turn awry.
Enjoyment is so clearly tied to our perspective.
And yet, we allow so many external inconveniences to dictate our perspective.
A shitty cabin rental doesn’t have to lead to a shitty experience.
Sometimes, the sun shining is enough.
Listening to the wind rustling the leaves on a hilltop is enough.
A hearty meal and a cold beer is enough.
Feeling a wooden deck beneath your bare feet is enough.
Lifelong friends, family, and all those we hold dear is enough.
Enough – it follows you wherever you go, should you turn to acknowledge it.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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