She shuffled by our house, so frail and bent,
As no one thought of where the lady went.
As she returned, no one was there to see,
As down a path she blended with the trees.
We hid and giggled as she hobbled near
Emboldened courage, immature in years.
The childish jeering from our hidden niche,
This frail sun bonnet lady, we yelled “witch”.
One day a fever kept me home from class.
I watched the lady shuffle down the path.
My curiosity, in strength, convened
I followed, silent, frightened and unseen.
A house was floating in the grasses tall;
As vines of every species claimed the walls.
Around the side, a window I peeked in;
A man with twisted limbs and crackled skin.
The lady rubbed a salve to ease his pain.
And sweetly hummed a lullaby refrain.
I told what I had seen to mom and dad.
My dad arose alert and mom grew sad.
How soon the path was hacked into a drive,
And cars of food and nurses soon arrived.
As children do, I grew to ventures new.
No looking back, with growing up to do.
Our lives are clouds of layered, restless change.
We mirror how they form and rearrange;
And send a wind to hum a treetop song;
A soothing lullaby, so quickly gone..
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Lullaby……….revised Final…..c\c?
Posted on October 15, 2011.
Lovely poem.
Oh my Gene, I probly missed the firsts before the final, but this hit so close, in a poignant way I love it.
Last two stanzas call for tissues at the ready. This was that kind of piece, to me.
I’ve written, at times, about the elderly, and one of a lady who lived across the road who sent mail to herself, alone. If you allow, i may write it again, edited, as you inspirin the post. Hugs you.
one of the strongest poems I’ve read from you Gene
touching in its images and written well.this one
felt like a Norman Rockwell, but in words instead
of paint…
Very nice. I bet you’ll still be tweaking this later e.g. ‘grasses tall’ or soon twice in two lines. Definitely a keeper. My congrats.
That was smooth, sublime- captured my heart and probably will do the same to whomever reads it. What a perfect way to start the day!
As poignant this time as it was the first..
Taunting can, in extreme cases have devastating results,
but what do kids know when they’re having a ‘laugh’…
You have once again painted such a vivid picture from
a fragment of your own life…Thank you for sharing…
Lovely vivid excellent poem .. thank you 🙂
A very nice poem. You have painted a poignant childhood memory of yours. Thank you
I was prepared to not like this when I started reading it, and I was pleasantly surprised, I felt your fevered state and the house floating in the tall grass… and it all made sense
I like this you have edited it nicely I did not trip in the reading and I was inside the poem, bravo! well done
So good to read your words again. I was engrossed with the telling.
Made me think of Boo Radley.
Wow, that was definitely amazing to read. Very, very descriptive, flows to read, and just is so nice and beautiful. Could quite possibly the best poem I’ve ever read. Brilliant!
A moving and poignant story that touches the heart. Written so beautifully, the reader feels as if taken away into the story itself. Wonderful job.
Did empathy come first,
precede epiphany?
Or did epiphany
compel the empathy?
I guess it matters not,
if soothing lullaby is where y’got!
I’m moved!