Writing poetry became my major composing activity circa 1962, & Mr. Malcolm Sedam's creative writing class in 1963-64 deepened my interest.
Poems with Commentaries
Immediately following each poem appears a brief commentary. These commentaries are raw reactions to the poems and not intended to elucidate each poem's content. That puzzling act must remain as individual as any reaction to any poem always is.
Epitaph
from Robert Browning's "Love Among the Ruins"
O heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns!
Earth's returns
For whole centuries of folly, noise and sin!
I. A Father's Love
Twisted vines hem him along
A sun ball shimmers on the tarn
The hill globs the valley's tongue
Morning bends over the barn
A ribbon of light cuts through the dark
The bridge hitches the road
And now he hears the red dog bark
And readies his heavy load
After spring fuses the lilac bushes
And all sweet love is pining
He'll breathe a sigh that never pushes
The twisted veil from vining
Then night will gather him in her arms
While the red dog will be straying
Over the bridge that fastens the charms
That fetch the soul to praying
Commentary: Fathers and daughters often go together like oil and water. A relationship of complete harmony would likely disturb the world, so the speaker of this poem will leave her little taste of vinegar and move on.
II. A Mother's Love
Rosemary, basil, sage
Tomatoes growing on the vine
Thyme in her purple blooms
Fat, round mushrooms
Creatures gather in the coven
Black eyes light the night
Stirring the air with zest
Pulling the bread from the oven
Beating the drum, swirling the broom
Blue veil sweeping the living room
Standing stone still before the clock
Listening to the cradle knock
She draws your heart across her mood
Listening for your silent nod
She thirsts to be well understood
Before the day of burning sod
They cannot give her
What they do not have
As their tortured souls
Tout the grave
Commentary: Pleasing one's mother remains one of the most bittersweet challenges of all time. Loving the mother with all one's heart is not enough, for the mother or the daughter. Pray together to stay together even beyond death.
III. A Brother's Love
He failed to appear
But I feel I know his anguish
I have seen it in the eyes
Of many men and boys
I think I know his confusion
As clearly as my own
But he never bullied me
And I love him for that
Commentary: For the girl who did not grow up with a brother, that love will always remain elusive. Even a brother-in-law cannot substitute. Let go what you don't know, let go, let go . . .
IV. A Sister's Love
Cotton candy at the fair
Bubbles popping here & there
Little princess decked in pink
Unicorn bobbing in the drink
Never Never Land on the moon
Raindrops shelling lost pontoon
Donkey honking up the train
Scarecrow yellow-bricking brain
Commentary: The love of a true sister is like cool water on a blistering-hot day, and a sister who truly loves you will not attempt to belittle you, mock you, and tarnish your reputation. The sister who does these things will cut off your head so she will appear taller.
V. A Son’s Love
A chicken & an egg go for a walk
Two chickens return
& split on separate ways
The moon spies on the earth
For the sun who sends reports
To the eye of God
The tree of life stands on the hill
Birds tweet songs in the branches
Then lift & scatter across blue worlds
Day & night the marbles roll
Respecting gravity's need
To hold tight to things
Grace & beauty tangle
As the wind lashes ashes
From the urn of hope
The storm subsides
Mothers fade
& animals flee
Commentary: The love of a son should be quiet as a feather dropping on cotton, as strong as a redwood standing in a Redwood Forest, as constant as the moon circling the sun, and as true as the river seeking the ocean.
VI. A Daughter’s Love
As a calf loves a horse
As a zipper loves a button
As rain loves an umbrella
As a nose loves an ear
As a spider loves a cat
As a shoe loves an earring
As a tooth loves a diamond
As snow loves a tree
As a marble loves a bird
Maybe love's too strong a word
Commentary: Seriously, she would love you if she could find her heart. She would understand you if she could sense her soul. She will flutter with pride not knowing what she will not bother to learn.
VII. A Blank Page’s Love
Yes, dear, you would not understand—
But that’s not necessary. Besides,
I don’t understand either.
But here we are. And you know not why—
Lest I sound arrogant, I’ll just say,
Neither do I.
Your blankness fills my mind
With thoughts of melancholy
And fairy-dancing ethereal glumness.
O, how your brother likes to bolshevise.
But that’s neither here nor there,
Request an answer
That you have already
Decided is pure crap.
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee.
O, wait—shee, shee, shee, shee, shee!
Just a retro response
To a distraction.
I know the blank page
Is luring me to blaspheme
And cauterize thoughts
That have been roaming
The ether for centuries—
Go, go, go, girl
You know the fingers
Of joy . . .
Commentary: A writer possesses a thousand faces and a thousand voices, and sometimes she cannot see or hear any of them. But the love of the page will bank off a myriad cups of joy.
VIII. God’s Love
I’m not a good daughter
Mommy and Daddy could attest to that—
But God loves me
I’m not a good sister
My sister wholeheartedly agrees—
But God loves me
I’m not a good niece
My aunts and uncles would say that’s so—
But God loves me
I’m not a good cousin
My cousins would not sing my praises—
But God loves me
I’m not a good mother
My children gladly confirm—
But God loves me
I’m not a good grandmother
My grandchildren can back that up—
But God loves me
I’m not a good aunt
My nieces can corroborate—
But God loves me
I’m not a good friend—
But God loves me
Commentary: I am a soul, I am here, and God loves me.
© 2020 Linda Sue Grimes
Comments
Linda Sue Grimes (author) from U.S.A. on February 27, 2020:
I appreciate your kind words, Venkatachari M!
Putting ideas about our loved ones into words can be dangerous and even damaging to those relationships. So it is always best to translate ideas into concrete imagery, which I have tried to do with these pieces. Interpretation is always a carp shoot though, and those minds that are not lit-savvy can end up on the wrong side of issues, despite the usefulness or aptness of the images. A poet who lets displacement into her life, though, may as well hang up her pen, aka keyboard.
Mental exploration still remains an important task for me as a poet. So I will continue to explore, muse, rethink, write, and revise--just find out what I think may be hiding in the curves of the brain.
Blessing for you and your, Venkatachari M!
Linda Sue Grimes (author) from U.S.A. on February 27, 2020:
Thank you, Lorna!
The impulse to understand relationships motivates the poet in me to muse on possibilities. I think I might do another suite of different relationships -- such as friendships.
While this "relics" one focuses primarily on family, I can imagine a whole treasure trove of relationships that human beings form while taking a journey on the mud ball of planet. For example, with food, with the wind, with residences, with curtains, with books, with weather, with time, with cars, planes, trains, with vacations, etc. The list is endless. So much to muse on and write about!
Venkatachari M from Hyderabad, India on February 26, 2020:
Very interesting collection of poems that narrate various types of Love and moods. Your commentaries are thought-provoking and very good.
Lorna Lamon on February 26, 2020:
A wonderful collection of poems with commentary Linda. I particularly liked 'God's Love which is always steadfast and true. An enjoyable and enlightening read.
