Mother Near
I feel my mother near
in a garden,
leaves trembling,
like my heart,
as a butterfly lights
on a concrete goddess.
She is the light
shining through leaves,
the cooling breeze,
the serene goddess
watching,
loving,
but cold.
I light a candle
and tell her of her
grandchildren on the
curling smoke.
She hears.
So I believe.
And feel her near.
Copyright 2016 Brenda Davis Harsham
Stepmother Near
but when I need you,
there you are. Driving me
to think, plan and cherish.
Lending your strength. With a
strong, tight hug
and words to lighten,
soothe and brace.
My mother,
lost at four,
is forever
remembered as a
goddess.
You have been
grief, anger,
uncertainty,
sadness and confusion.
You weathered
my adolescence.
Now, I see you hug
my kids, love shining
on your gentle face.
Now, I see only
the future,
not the past.
Copyright 2016 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: In her Spotlight on Kenn Nesbit, Michelle and Kenn challenged us to write poems for our mothers. Michelle wrote a dear poem. I waffled, stonewalled and finally plunged in, cold, wet and disheveled like a cat accidentally falling in a full sink. I wrote these poems for my two mothers. From my heart.
Stop by The Miss Rumpus Effect and take in the week’s Poetry Friday sharing.
Great work. Love these poems!
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Thanks!
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You’re very welcome 😊
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This truly touched my heart {hugs} 🙂
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((hugs)) Word spinner, bespeller of magic.
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bespeller of Magic…Oooo I may have to use that 🙂
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🙂
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
WITH ALL THE GOOD JARGON!
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Thanks, Jonathan. Have a great rest of the week!
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Amazing writing Brenda, the feelings overflow in both and with gratitude for letting us share in this very tender moment of words.
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What a lovely comment, Mary, thank you.
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You know how I feel about your writings? They are extraordinary ~
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Thank you!
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That’s how I feel about your art!
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As a stepmom this set of poems is particularly poignant!
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I know it from the other end, but I imagine you’re right. I’m afraid to draw my stepmom’s attention to them. I don’t want her to be hurt. It’s hard to cobble things together, because the seams show, but the alternative is to be alone. And that’s not better.
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I love these. Thank you for sharing them. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Thanks, Ruth!
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Good posts, beautiful blog.
Congratulations.
Welcome to see my creations:
http://paintdigi.wordpress.com
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Thanks!
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You’r welcome 🍁
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Brenda – your poems are very classical and music melody…
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Thank you!
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Oh, Brenda, what a gift these two poems are. You might have “plunged in, cold, wet and disheveled”, but you came out with something beautiful, healing, and poignant. Thank you for sharing your heart words. Hugs. =)
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Thank you, Bridget, what a lovely thing to say. XOXO
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I love your description of your struggle to write these. Perfect visual of the difficulty! So much love in both poems.
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Thanks, Tabatha. The most deep feelings are the hardest to access in a coherent way. But it was a great process to go through.
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Lovely pair of poems, Brenda–I especially love the way you captured the mother/daughter experience in the second one.
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Thanks, Buffy. Very kind of you to stop by and read my poems. I’m glad you like the second. It was the one I worried more about.
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Such different poems. You can tell that life has been lived with the second. It has that grit that comes from real life lived. And you have reminded me, that I haven’t posted my mum poem!
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Thanks, Kathryn. Poetry Friday brings prompts my way that I probably wouldn’t ever write otherwise. It’s fascinating to see that changing my writing. Making me braver.
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Oh, Brenda…how wonderful. Both beautiful and perfect in every way. It’s so nice to see something positive written about a stepmother. Your mother must be watching you and smiling at all the love you sent to her. Wonderful poems.
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I would have written very differently about my stepmother twenty years ago. Perhaps I even did. A relationship is always about two people, though. And I do love seeing her face shine as she hugs my kids.
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Brenda, I sense you dug deep for these. I love the way both reveal the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship. It’s never an ideal greeting card relationship, is it? You honored both of your mothers.
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It is complicated, and I try to be honest in my writing. But I did try to focus on the positive. 🙂 I’m glad you like them.
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What came first, the statues or the poem?
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LOL The statues. It helped to have something to focus on as I drafted. I was already thinking over the poems when I took the photo, though. I knew if it came out well, I might use it as a touchstone. I kept flip-flopping which mother, both mothers, one poem, two poems. Having the photo with three goddesses turn out well helped me decide what to do. As if fate took a hand.
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Moving and poignant pair of poems, Brenda. The second one, especially, must have been cathartic to write.
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The second was my first poem to my stepmother. It’s a good process to organize your thoughts and access the good details. Cathartic, perhaps. Living takes care of that.
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Beautiful, Brenda. I’m so glad you wrote two. You are fortunate to have had two such lovely images of motherhood. We understand so much when we look backward and see goodness and faithfulness come from difficult loss.
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Thanks, Dori. I could tease them apart and forget the other. They are together for me, and only me. 🙂 But I tried to focus on the good memories.
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A beautiful celebration of mothers in all their forms and with all their different titles.
And dornahainds’s comment is absolutely perfect for this poem – my own mother has long been my editor, reading my high school essays, my college articles, my poetry submissions, always suggesting alternatives, and occasionally calling me out when I accidentally invented new words, but always championing me… 😉 Thank you both for bringing back all of these happy memories! 🙂
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Sharing poetry with someone in my family would have been a real boon. Sadly, I’m the black sheep. 🙂 I’m glad I brought back joyful memories for you.
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For having just fallen into a full sink, these poems sure purr, Brenda. I hear your heart loud and clear. I was especially touched by these lines:
“I light a candle
and tell her of her
grandchildren on the
curling smoke.”
Beautiful.
Where was the photo taken? It looks like such a peaceful place.
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The place is the Goddess Garden at Elm Bank, Wellesley, MA. It’s peaceful and gorgeous anytime of year. It’s one of our favorite places.
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Brenda, your pair of poems are a tribute to the women in your life. Your opening is tender:
I feel my mother near
in a garden,
leaves trembling,
like my heart,
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Thank you.
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Gosh, what a beautiful poem. My mother sometimes comes to me in the kitchen and in my studio (she was a painter) so I know something of which you speak.
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I’m glad you do, too, Suzanne.
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This IS so moving and beautiful!! The first part, I could see my mom too and I love what you wrote about your mother in law…I hope she reads it too…how blessed you are and she is to have you in each other’s lives.
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Thanks, Oliana! It’s good to focus on the positive in these crazy days.
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…or finding the “blessings” in the craziness
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Yes, indeed. Blessings are always there if you look for them. 🙂
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Thank you, Brenda, this is beautiful. ❤
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Thanks, Dina!
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Marvelous.🌹
…sooth (soothe)? And brace
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🙂 You are right, I think.
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Brenda Davis Harsham, you never have to change your (original) work on mine or any others’ suggestion.
Ultimately, it’s your masterpiece. 🙂
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You were right. Writing can always be improved.
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These are so beautiful!
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Thanks! XOXO
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