Family

 Day8: inspiration today comes from from Edgar Lee Masters’ 1915 book Spoon River Anthology. The book consists of well over 100 poetic monologues, each spoken by a person buried in the cemetery of the fictional town of Spoon River, Illinois.  Write a poem in the form of a monologue delivered by someone who is dead. 

It was really difficult to decide on someone,  but I've chosen the lovely lady I only ever knew as "Ma"; the farmer's wife living in Devon who took in my father as an evacuee during WW2, and subsequently adopted us all as family. She was a very spiritual person.

Did you know we were cousins?
Despite the frowns, the gossip, dire warnings,
We fell in love, got married,
Created a home on our dairy farm.  
Despite passion we remained childless, 
Trusting in a benevolent God
To bring us happiness. 

What a miracle it was -
The war brought us two strong boys
To join our farming family, 
Gave us the chance to raise them as our own
For five short years.
Was I wrong to wish for longer?
We said goodbye to teenagers
With happy but heavy hearts.  

Later - graced by another miracle -
Your dad brought back a wife,
Two daughters, every school holiday,
Blessing our quiet house with noise
And childish bustle,
Giving us the chance once more
To welcome children into our lives. 

I'm so glad you chose the iris vase 
To remember me by. It was a wedding present,
A favourite, kept safely as an heirloom 
For the family we would never have had
Except for the grace of God. 

© Copyright 2021. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leave taking

I've been to two funerals recently. I suppose it's inevitable that their frequency will increase as I get older,  and my peer group ages alongside me.  It makes you consider your own mortality, and prompts a resolve to use the days left to you more wisely.  But somehow you never do, preferring to think there's still enough time left.   The death of an elderly uncle is easier to bear. It's possible to reflect on a long life, well lived,  To remember the fun you had when you were small, How he made you shriek until you were breathless,  To consider the grace of his faith, which eased his end.  The death of my sunny, fun-filled friend Is much harder to balance. We are all too aware She had too few years to enjoy her joyful take on life,  Will miss out on too many evenings full of laughter,  No longer guide her grandchildren into adulthood. Both deaths celebrated as a release from pain.  Both lives celebrated as lives lived well.  We carry their memories home with us,   To
Read more

Dont go to India

I wrote this after a toilet stop in the way from Jaipur to Varaneeshya.  Don't go to India  not if you worry about squatting over a hole in the ground, with no running water. not if you worry about hawkers thrusting their wares in your face, "300, 200, 100 only". not if you worry about children caked in street filth, tugging at your sleeve, your heart. not if you worry about rubbish, plastic bottles, bags, packaging, strewn across the streets. But if you can make peace with all that  you will find beauty wherever you look. ©  Copyright 2023. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved
Read more

Do you have a preference?

Whenever I'm asked 'which do you prefer?' I usually say 'I don't mind,  whichever is easier' - because I hate to cause extra work for anyone! But of course,  I do have preferences.  Today's poem is thanks to an idea from Elizabeth Boquet, who by the way is a great poet to follow (elizabethboquet.com). I prefer modern fiction to classical  I prefer cats who curl up on your lap I prefer the smell and taste of coffee I prefer it decaffeinated nowadays.   I prefer blues and greens,  turquoise and teal above all other colours I prefer men with blue eyes I prefer white flowers.  I prefer walking through woods, alone  or with the one I love I prefer the journey to the destination I prefer a slightly cloudy sky.   I prefer to Lindt chocolate to Cadbury's I prefer custard creams I prefer mince pies to Christmas pudding I prefer vegetarian to vegan. I prefer to avoid conversations about politics unless I know we all are lefties,  and are unlikely to fall out - I
Read more