Saturday, May 20, 2017

THE PLACE OF THE RED WILLOWS/SUNDAY'S WHIRLIGIG #112 -- THE SUNDAY WHIRL #300

Sunday’s Whirligig  #112

            THE PLACE OF THE RED WILLOWS

today the red willows               dance along the river                move in the wind

i hear their songs                      back and forth                         back and forth

call and response                      cleanse the soul                        i stand lonely

waiting                         the hem of my skirt wet                        i remember

another time                             before the thief                        stole my heart  



i no longer beg for your love        i dial a number       it is not yours’

wrong number     confused              i rest in the shade of a large tree

at the river’s edge    i am an insomniac    hard to find the rest i need

i am the defender of my own castle    my sword polished       reflects the sun

i seek an advanced degree       life a college          the lessons can be difficult

May 21, 2017 




The Sunday Whirl  #300



            IN SEARCH OF HAPPINESS      

your message seemed stilted          cryptic          only three lines 

no trace of you                      no clues                                       i am left to wonder

we sang the chants         call and response           first your

                                                                              beautiful voice

then our response               the words unfamiliar          you fingered the
            
                                                                               scarf

straighten it        the color a flaming red             you run your fingers

                                                                                along the edge

we traveled together                 into a world of happiness         not the
     
                                                                               flimsy kind

but a durable happiness            it was a trip to remember          your  

                                                                                          face lights up with your smile

it is a journey         from which you never tire      in the end

                                                             there is a promise of sunshine         

                                                                                                                                                                                     

May 21, 2017 

                                   



                                                                                                                                   

                                                                       






12 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

How I love your red willows poem. I can see the branches, dancing in the sun. Feel the confusion of the wrong number. I especially love the remembering of another time "before the thief stole my heart." I know that feeling well.

I love the "durable happiness' in the second poem. A gift.

C.C. said...

One cannot get an advanced degree in life without those difficult lessons, unfortunately!

brudberg said...

Love where you started with the red willow... at this time of year the willow are alive and shred their cotton (at least here)... It's a bit like an early fall.

colleen said...

So many ways to read this, up down and across, call and response. Standing lonely in the river with hem of your skirt wet sands out for me.

indybev said...

Ah, life's lessons, in retrospect, were important stepping stones.

Wendy Bourke said...

I love both these pieces. The nuanced details are so beautifully expressed. 'The Place of the Red Willows' is intimate and visceral and really evokes the process of a deep inward search. And 'In Search of Happiness', as well, the details are exquisite. Wonderfully rendered work.

Anonymous said...

A vivid reflection on thoughts and feelings. I also really like the wet hem of the skirt.

Elizabeth

Old Egg said...

Happineness is so fleeting we must grasp hold of it and try not to let go when we do.

Myrna R. said...

These are both lovely. I love how you weave words and sentences to create a combination of wisdom. I like happiness with the promise of sunshine. Beautiful.

Jae Rose said...

May there always be sunshine and summer in your soul xo

Sanaa Rizvi said...

This is so incredibly vivid and poignant!

Mary said...

Hopefully we will all find that sunshine we seek on our journeys, & we will not dial too many wrong numbers in our lives.

Not Just A Cup

  Not Just a Cup       Southern born Not a tea drinker Always coffee For me   Although I often find  Bitter taste Of the dark brew A bit muc...