Nail holes

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 21 Nov 2016
  • 994 reads
2 comments
 

[When I was about 6 or 7 …]

Convenient to say, ‘Sorry’
(I still felt rather sulky)
but wanted to once more be happy,
leave disapproval way behind me!
Complacent, glad to leave
that trouble now, receive
forgiveness, all forgotten,
blank out behaviour rotten.

But, thoughtfully, my Daddy, sad,
said, “Yes, of course, we’re very glad
to start again, but you remember
you can’t erase, as with a rubber
the consequences, every one
from things that you have said and done.
If you push nails into this wood,
then pull them out, it won’t look good.

Just so, you cannot always heal
how you’ve hurt others, made them feel
– so ‘sorry’s right to be, and say,
but don’t be heedless as you play.”
I wriggled, didn’t feel so cosy
– life hitherto’d been easy, rosy,
now realised growth brought new abilities
to hurt or help – responsibilities.

[IP: consequences]

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

I love; 'I wriggled, didn't feel so cosy,' I think all of us (with a conscience) remember that feeling from childhood. The pulled out nails analogy is a good one, I'll remember that.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jane, glad you thought so too. The incident, and his analogy have stayed in my mind, I do remember feeling I wanted all consequences to be easily rubbed out by just a 'sorry'. And then I suppose I could have just continued to behave the same way whenever I felt like it, with little thought or care. Rhiannon