Post-Its
“Post-Its,” an imagining of what might happen if I left unhinged faux to-dos in strange places. Written Wednesday, June 10, poem 161 in a series of 365 poems written by Diana Ludwick in 2026. Photo: "Post-Its I would Leave in the Wild for Someone else to Find," Diana Ludwick (c) 2026.
Sometimes I imagine
the Post-Its that I would leave
in strange places
Fantastical messages to a Self
that I would stage
in the wild
for some unsuspecting passerby
to encounter
hours, days, weeks later
Perhaps it would warrant
a second glance
or even a pause
a catch of the breath
Post-its I would leave
for someone else to discover
to decode and debrief
to incite a reaction,
a startle reflex
Post-its I would leave
on a lamp post
on a rusting newspaper box
on the greasy
black handrail
of the Metro escalator
on the ceiling of an Uber
on the mirror of a restroom
Post-its that I would place
on the shelf of the canned goods aisle
in between the fresh-steamed corn
and lye-soaked hominy
or in the freezer wedged
between Eggos
and Toaster Struedels
Post-Its that would render
their future reader unsure
of the veracity,
audacity of the To-Dos
Spark curiosity
ignite a sweep
of someone's
peripheral vision
Yes, it would be ideal
to leave unhinged love notes
for a bored shopper
Post-it notes
I would leave
in strange places
to stir it up a bit;
leave the world guessing.
