I Sing to Use the Waiting

I Sing to Use the Waiting - meaning Summary

Singing to Pass the Waiting

The speaker describes singing as a practical way to occupy herself during an interval of waiting. She ties her bonnet, shuts the door, and has nothing more to do until an anticipated arrival. The poem frames song as a communal, anticipatory act that sustains against darkness. When the awaited person comes, they will travel toward a brighter day and recount how singing helped them endure the pause.