This Room

This room is breaking out
of itself, cracking through
its own walls
in search of space, light,
empty air.

The bed is lifting out of
its nightmares.
From dark corners, chairs
are rising up to crash through clouds.

This is the time and place
to be alive:
when the daily furniture of our lives
stirs, when the improbable arrives.
Pots and pans bang together
in celebration, clang
past the crowds of garlic, onions, spices,
fly past the ceiling fan.
No one is looking for the door.

In all this excitement
I am wondering where
I've left my feet, and why

my hands are outside clapping.

Imtiaz Dharker

Tutoring a 16 year old today - trying to inspire him to a love of poetry. We did this poem from his GCSE English text - we both liked it a lot.