Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Magic



My mother's hands were worn,
tending children, house and garden.
But oh! they were full
of love and of music!
She would sit herself down,
hands still damp from washing
the noontime dishes, towel tossed
carelessly over her shoulder, and
strike a chord, play some
notes, and we children were
swept up and flung star-ward.


Today's prompt: Try a fifty-five word poem. You get eleven five-word lines. Imagine they become a frame or perhaps an empty bowl. Into it place a picture, colorful, worth recalling in silence, or maybe something edible, nourishing. Begin before it is over to paint with your word-brush. Approaching the poem’s abrupt end, try lifting your earth-eyes skyward.

7 comments:

Brian Miller said...

i imagine so...i love it for the focus on the hands...there is def some magic there...sounds like a special person too...smiles.

Tabor said...

What a wonderful memory of your mother. She represents so many women who gave up their life loves to raise a family.

Hilary said...

A beautiful, poetic tribute to your mother, Pauline. I suspect your own family sees you much the same way.

Gary said...

Pauline, I love this. It is reminiscent of hard working Pa in the Little House books playing his fiddle before the girls went off to sleep. I always loved that image. The moment when time stood still and now was all that mattered. Your poem evokes that same suspension of time. It brings the moments to life and makes them still. I need more of that feeling in my fast-paced life.

Barbara said...

I could see her. Beautiful!

Judith said...

Such a beautiful tribute to your dearly beloved mother.

Pauline said...

Brian M - she was a lovely person and so talented (and she loved us kids!)

Tabor - my Memere wanted my mother to be accomplished so she learned to play the piano and she took ballet lessons. She became a school teacher and then a mother - we were lucky kids. She taught us all how to dance, to play duets with her on the piano and how to be gracious.

Hilary - I hope so!

Gary - a suspension of time is the perfect wording for what happened.

Barbara - that was my hope.

J - She's been gone for almost 30 years now and I still miss her!