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Michael Anthony
Michael Anthony
Jan 22, 2026 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

Beautiful Boxes

My dear friend confides she’s near the end,
and feeling her ninety-one years.

She didn’t want to leave her pets in boxes
and asked me to take care of the ashes.

I buried them in her yard, as she asked,
with a marker made from twigs.

I placed the beautiful empty wooden boxes
made to hold the cinders of bones on the curb

hoping someone might find another use for them.
Inadequate, as they were, for holding all that love.

— Michael Anthony, Jan 22, 2026

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: San Francisco Bay Area - USA, USA

Favorite Poets: Bukowski, Billy Collins, Ted Kooser, Haiku & Harvey Kurtzman (a visual poet, of sorts)

More from this author

Critiques

Geezer

Geezer

4 months 2 weeks ago

This...

truly touched my heart. With carefully crafted lines, you have summed up the hearts and wishes of many a pet owner that have had their pets cremated. I, myself have a dog's ashes to be buried with mine when I go. The ending is as smooth as the whole and sums it up nicely. 

"hoping someone might find another use for them.
Inadequate, as they were, for holding all that love."

~ Geez.

 

Candlewitch

Candlewitch

4 months 2 weeks ago

Dear Michael,

This is so beautiful...it goes beyond that...maybe exquisite is a better descriptor? It touched me deeply...

very fondly, Cat