These My Daughter Taught Me

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Sat, 17 May 2014
  • 2328 reads
10 comments
 
My daughter taught me how to make 
sour-dough bread. Or rather, mind it for her 
when she went away. I was told to nurture it,
as one would a child. Feed the dough daily, 
to aid its rising; talk to it, from time to time.
Crazy as it sounds, all these things I did!
Except…when she finally came to bake it, 
the loaf took a nose dive. Never was I asked
to ‘bread-sit’ again!
 
She taught me one can’t have too many vases,
too many flowers; the rudiments of how to literally
‘shop until I dropped’ and yet still have time to lunch; 
the incurable shopaholic that she was. Showed me the ropes 
on how to give ‘the kiss of life’, with the aid of her blow-up 
mannequin, ‘Resusci-Anne’.I laughed till I cried in my
futile attempts,  one afternoon, long-since past.
 
How best to construct a compost heap; how to grow
anything from seed.  Made me see the beauty
in common and garden weeds. “After all,” she posed
the question. “Isn’t a weed just a plant – decides
to grow in a place of its, not of our, choosing?”
A glint in those misty, grey-blue eyes.
Taught me to savour, the everyday things of life; 
like walking the dogs, watching the bats at dusk
in her back yard; retrieving them safe and sound
from the jaws of Eddy her incorrigible tabby! 
 
That dying, like it or lump it, is an integral part
of living; death’s ominous shadow, her companion
for twenty years.  Rebel that she was, it only served
to spur her on; her thirst for life, unquenchable.
And in her dying, she taught me to realise
I wouldn’t be remembered for how clean
my house was.  Something she’d learned too late.
Or so she said.  A message she spread loud and clear. 
 
She also taught me how to climb inside her mind; 
her thoughts, mine.  I hope she knew too,
how much I wished that an Elastoplast and a kiss
could make her better...but those days were over.
The best I could do was follow where she led...
And she led me well...Till her final destination
where I practiced what she preached; watched
her drift to sleep as I stroked her feet and held 
her hand – marooned, as she was, on that island
where touch became her life-raft.
 
Were she a writer, she would have written a book;
a diva – sung it straight from the heart.  The star
of a reality TV show, ‘The Art of Dying’, given
the chance.  Instead, she did what she did best. 
Remained a teacher to the end. 
Certificate 12
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Love
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

Sparkling with love. Sounds like you didn't do bad with 'The Art of Mothering' either.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

My sincere thanks to yousmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

So much love, as Vera has said. And wonderfully, positively filled with fantastic memories. It just made me feel how much part of each other we become through that special bond of love. And your poem is really special, Tina.

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Your words are so very special, too, Bee.

Tina

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Showing the extent of the effects we have on one another in homely and bigger things, the fun and the desperately hard times. Good to share and understand a little. I liked the last line. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Good morning, Rhiannon.

Thank you so much for reading, and for sharing your thoughts.  

Tina

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Tina

What a beautful tribute to your daughter. So often it is that our children know much more about things than we do, and appreciate them in different ways. I really was moved by this piece.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Jean - you are so very right in what you say.  Thank you for reading, and for your wisdom.

Tina

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Such beautiful words captured in this piece Tina.  We can learn so much from watching others and as your daughter said,  so many of the most special things are the ones we take for granted in every day life.

An all inspiring poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

We do take so very much for granted in this life, and it took me daughter to show me how much.  

Your words mean a lot, and I thank you for them.

Tina