Saturday, August 9, 2008

Sunday Scribblings

Following is my piece for Sunday Scribblings. The theme was "ask". I wrote this for my uncle, in memory of his life partner, Madeline, who passed away this week. I think many of us have asked questions like these during a time of loss.


Rainbow

If I sit quietly and focus
Will I hear your voice in the wind or see
your face in the distance?

Can you hear me when I whisper
your name into the starlit night, saying
I will always love you?

Will you remember me
As I remember you, in the quiet moments
of every hour, every day?

And the day you died
was the rainbow, framed in a cloudless sky,
your secret message to me?

May you be at peace,
knowing you forever hold a place in
my broken heart.

4 comments:

anno said...

This is tender and lovely, and it expresses beautifully the questions in our hearts after a loss. Thanks for posting this!

Rambler said...

this was passionate and emotional...

Rinkly Rimes said...

Your poem was so heartfelt that I feel quite guilty being flippant. However, if you read this poem, you'll realise that, deep down, I don't care!

THAT ASKING TASK!

When I was young, my mother
Frequently took me to task,
Saying 'Little girls should be polite
And never never ask!'
She was referring to my desire
For the last cake on the plate.
I really knew I shouldn't ask
But, then, who wants to wait?
So, being a biddable sort of child
(Well, be that as it may!)
I trained myself to bide my time
Till an offer came my way.
'How would you like the last cupcake?'
Sometimes I heard aright.
And I joyfully received it,
And took a scrumptious bite.
But sometimes someone else jumped in
Or was offered the tasty prize,
And then I'd sit dejectedly
With tears brimming in my eyes.

But another phrase was in being,
I sometimes heard it at school...
'Don't ask, don't get!'
That seemed to be the rule.
If I longed for someone's lunch snack
And I riveted my gaze,
On some tasty little biscuit
While recalling Mother's phrase.
My 'friend' would chomp the biscuit
With a chortle of great glee
Crying 'Don't ask, don't get!'
Poor little bewildered me!

But now I'm old I've learnt to cope
With all the social rules,
I take for granted I know best
And the others are all fools!
I simply act the way I want
Though I'm sometimes rather brash
I say and do the things I like!
Let the others do their dash!
So it's lucky you are BLOG friends
And never have to suffer
The verbal 'slings and arrows'
Of yet another
Silly Old Duffer!

Nita Jo said...

Anno and Rambler, I'm glad you felt the emotions I hoped to convey. I didn't express myself on the phone very well to my uncle, but I know he will love the poem.

Rinkly Rimes, Wasn't sure what to think about your comment, then read the poem. Have to say, it made me smile. I just discovered your blog and I enjoy your poetry so much.

Thanks to all for stopping by!

Nita Jo