Sunday 7 August 2011

Her hands


i stare at her gnarled
hands, life etched on
each wrinkle, vein 


wipe tears
from child's eyes


soothe fears
& doubts of troubled lad


caress shyly
lover's fair face 


tie family strings
through sorrows, heartbreaks


crochet linens, sweaters 
spreading warmth and joy   


wield axe
demanding firmness


hold cup to toast
success, big & small steps 


bury an erring husband
loving him till the end 


offer peace, gladness
blessings overflowed simple nest


play with angels on her lap,
longing for eternal peace


now, clasped in prayer's cross
waits for death's dance 
finally




Author's Note:  This post is for Poetry Jam:  Songs for the Dead, hosted by Chris of Enchanted Oak.  The prompt is to write about death of a beloved, in my case, my grandmother who died years ago at a very ripe age of 93.   In her 60+ , she wanted to die already; not wanting to follow the footsteps of her mother, who also died in her 90+.   


During her lifetime, my grandmother made lovely things with her skilled hands.  As my wedding gift, she gave me a hand-made quilt for my bed.   Her crochet and embroidery pieces continue to remind us of her love.    

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15 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 August 2011 at 12:16

    this is beautiful...visions of my mum danced as I read each line...

    hugs

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  2. Helen7 August 2011 at 12:56

    Before I read David's comment ... I knew I would tell you this is beautiful.

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  3. tarunima7 August 2011 at 13:11

    I have to repeat,this is indeed beautiful!!
    The pic is lovely too

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  4. Brian Miller7 August 2011 at 13:15

    this is lovely...something so evocative about hands...used for so much...to give and take life..you chose somewonderful scenes to highlight as well...

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  5. Debbie Dawnslight7 August 2011 at 13:16

    I loved the poem and also your description of your grandmother "not wanting to follow the footsteps of her mother" which ties in perfectly with -
    ... "now, clasped in prayer's cross /waits for death's dance finally"
    a powerful ending.

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  6. Debbie Dawnslight7 August 2011 at 13:17

    P.s.
    Love the photo! Did you take it?

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  7. Scarlet7 August 2011 at 15:09

    Thanks so much for your wonderful comments.

    Debbie - sorry, the picture is not mine. But when I saw it, I thought it was perfect for this post.

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  8. libithina7 August 2011 at 17:20

    the picture is brilliant ~ thankyou for sharing abut your dear grandmother ~ a fine age and one she didn't want to live to ~ she shared such a lot with her crafts and with you ~ devoted to an errant husband ~ a wonderfully strong lady ~ and a beautiful tributary write ~ Lib

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  9. Pat Hatt7 August 2011 at 20:12

    Wonderful tribute and have to say the photo is really neat, love it.

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  10. Margie7 August 2011 at 22:51

    So beautiful and touching!
    This touched my heart!

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  11. Anonymous7 August 2011 at 23:13

    Very touching post. And what a nice present your grandmother gave you.

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  12. Enchanted Oak8 August 2011 at 02:26

    This poem is a good example of what love can see in a pair of aged hands.

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  13. Jyoti Mishra8 August 2011 at 02:38

    awesome creation..
    it is so beautiful n serene n pure.
    Super like !!!

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  14. Maude Lynn8 August 2011 at 20:48

    This immediately brought to mind my grandmother's hands. Beautiful.

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  15. RachelW13 August 2011 at 15:18

    I like this one very much! Thanks for your visits to my blog, and your kind words.

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Thanks for your visit and comments ~ I appreciate them ~

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