“Not another handstand, Marie!”
I call from the window – young
enough to show no modesty;
gingham dress around her ears...
...young enough to play ‘Oranges
and Lemons’ as up she jumps
and joins her friends, under an arch
of grubby, joined hands...
not old enough to know she quickens
my heart with the blink
of one eyelash, and that her smile
raises buttercups in winter.
Comments
insertponceyfre... | April 28, 2011 - 22:49
her smile
raises buttercups in winter.
That's a beautiful way of putting it
Highhat | April 29, 2011 - 08:31
This is fabulous.There is only one but and that is the last stanza- reminds me of your poem Emily plays- made my heart sink a bit but otherwise it is really beautiful Tina- really well done
;)Pia
Silver Spun Sand | April 29, 2011 - 08:47
Thanks, insert;-) Tina
Silver Spun Sand | April 29, 2011 - 08:53
Know what you mean, Pia; it does tend to make one shiver, on reflection. So pleased you enjoyed this one though, on a far lighter note as it was.
Have a happy weekend.
Tina;-)
kheldar | April 29, 2011 - 11:45
Simple and beautiful...simply beautiful !!!
:--) xxx
Silver Spun Sand | April 29, 2011 - 13:13
And your words, simply beautiful too;-) Thank you, so much.
Tina
fatboy74 | April 29, 2011 - 21:10
Lovely picture Tina and that last line is just perfect. :-)
Silver Spun Sand | April 29, 2011 - 21:37
And just 'perfick' is your lovely comment, fb. Many thanks;-)
Tina
barryj1 | April 30, 2011 - 23:34
There is a problem here right from the get go. Okay, let me just spit it out and be done with it: I presently have two daughters at home who resemble Marie, and so when I read a poem like this, I can't be objective. No I'm not going to comment.
Actually, only parents with male offspring should be allowed to read this brief poem because, after doing so, it is impossible to offer a fair and unbiassed. assesment. So I am not going to say anything good or bad about this poem - not one solitary, goddamn word. Enough said.
Post Script: I read it to my wife at suppertime and she liked it just fine, even let loose with a handful of accolades following the last few lines.
Silver Spun Sand | April 30, 2011 - 23:55
Thank you, barry...enough said;-)
Tina
barryj1 | May 1, 2011 - 00:49
One more thing. When I first discovered this website, I totally ignored the poetry section for the first few months. All I did was read short stories and post my own writing. I was going on the assumption that most, if not all, of the poetry here was of the same quality as on the other literary internet sites (i.e. Roses are, red, Violets are Blue. I love poetry and so should you!).
Then I started to pay attention and realized that there were people such as yourself who were writing stuff that was truly cutting edge and redefining the contemporary, artistic medium. I am deadly serious here. There are some amazingly talented poets on this site and it's a pleasure to scan the 'cherry-picked' selections and see your name and a dozen other regulars pop up.
And I was serious earlier when I said that I read the poem to my wife. She loved it and (belatedly) so did I.
MistakenMagic | May 2, 2011 - 11:57
Beautiful, beautiful piece, Tina! Brought back my own childhood memories of primary school games and summer dresses! Well done on the cherry :)
Magic xxx
skinner_jennifer | May 2, 2011 - 11:58
Hi Tina,
this is simply beautifully written, it brought back
my own memories of playing 'Oranges and Lemons.'
Do children actually still play that game?
Thankyou for a fine read.
Jenny.
Silver Spun Sand | May 2, 2011 - 17:58
My daughter, Juliet, used to spend her entire childhood upside down, doing hand-stands and the like, and so this was a very 'easy' poem for me to write. So pleased you enjoyed;-)
Tina xxx
Silver Spun Sand | May 2, 2011 - 17:59
I'm not sure about that, Jenny...oranges and lemons, I mean, but it would be a great shame if they didn't. Many thanks for reading, and I'm pleased it brought back memories for you.
Tina