Growing apart
What was the sun to us then?
Certainly not a danger.
More like a daytime mother, wrapping us
in the warmth of our country yard,
where blankets, spread over pungent
meadow grass, smelled distinctly of
tanning oil, lemoned water, sweat,
and one large creek-wading spaniel.
Or like a most seductive babysitter,
promising rewards for patience, for
goodness, for goodness sake,
forsaking all others.
Even a little like the father we dreamed about
beaming and strong,
unaware that we were growing up
as sagebrush does;
and also growing away
from that desert spot
as sagebrush does not.
Growing
apart
came after many trips around the sun.
Sagebrush does that.
No longer chooses to be loosely rooted
near one that shared its growth,
near one that appears too similar
to be noticed
for its differences.
After random tumbling on native soil
and in the winds on high;
after catching up, then feeling
snagged and burned and burning,
There is nothing new under the sun to us now
except this new sun is a danger, and
we are too different
to notice our similarities in
forsaking each other.
MLydiaM ~ November 2011
Submitted for Poetics at dVerse Poets. This week we are asked by Sheila Moore (in a post that is so beautiful it is much more a gift than a poetry prompt) to consider Changes: "What changes, big or small, have you experienced in life? Write a poem about one of them and share it with us . . ."
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23 comments:
love the sun as a daytime mother..wrapped in the warmth of the country yard..the lemoned water..the spaniel..beautiful work on the details here...very atmospheric..and then the change from outside to inside..beautifully done..
i love the metaphor...very strong images of the mother, father and sagebrush growing apart...
a sad but good take on the reality of pursuing other paths...strong closing line with "to notice our similarities in forsaking each other"
Some really gorgeous images to counterbalance the implicit sadness. Great take on the prompt.
such vivid images, so beautifully written.
we are too different
to notice our similarities in
forsaking each other.
whata fabulous close...i felt as there were many years that i did not talk to my sister...it took years to get over some of the pain she caused...the sagebrush makes for a great metaphor as well...
I'm with Dave; beautiful images, sad story.
I love the sagebrush metaphor. It's one that particularly potent for me :) as always, so lovely, Lydia. thank you.
this is beyond beautiful for me as I wrote one about my sister as well. (Still need to link it up though.) Thanks for your compliment about the post - I am humbled. I really enjoyed this poem and related to it so much.
One thinks of the sun as constant, but not here.
I liked this:
"near one that appears too similar
to be noticed
for its differences."
And the imagery of the Mother Sun.
So much here! I have a distinct image of a tumbleweed,a desert/dry land phenomenon, both a curse of too much sun and a prayer for enough rain.
I'm impressed with how you interpreted the prompt.
To each his own. Differences and similarities get entangled sometimes, sadly though!
Hank
love your take.
beautiful imagery.
sometimes we ignore the drifting apart-lovely poignant poem
Claudia~ Appreciate you highlighting those certain parts. Many thanks.
Heaven~ This gives me insight: the reality of pursuing other paths... Thinking of these changes as a kind of reality is helpful. Thank you.
Dave King~ Thank you for your understanding comment. Much appreciated.
aka_andrea~ Oh, thank you.
Brian~ Your comments are always so insightful, this one included. I'm sorry for your pain, and I'm sorry for the pain my sister and I have been to each other (in most cases, unknowingly, I believe).
Rob-Bear~ Thank you. Must be because there was much beauty and then much sadness.
Amber Lee~ Do you also find personality, of sorts, in sagebrush? I love the little guys!
Sheila Moore~ I read comments, including yours, much earlier in the day and have been so anxious to read everyone's, including yours about your sister! If not this late night, then tomorrow, I can enjoy them. Thanks for such a meaty prompt.
Fireblossom~ You said it in one line, my friend.
Shawna~ Thank you for your comments. I hadn't thought before of Mother Sun but it came out in that poem for some reason.
rosaria~ I am pleased you liked it and am so anxious to see what others have done with this prompt. The day kept me away from the computer. :(
kaykuala~ To each his own is my top favorite quote on my Facebook page! The song was a favorite of my mother's (this post), so it is fascinating to me that your comments included it on this particular post about her daughters...
The Cello Strings~ Thank you for your kind comment!
Kathe~ Your comment touched my heart. Thank you.
Yes, wonderful poem.
Very beautifully written... and can relate to this profoundly, as one who left the country of my birth to settle elsewhere.
I have one brother. This resonated with me....
The imagery here is very beautiful and a sense of peace permeates, but for me it is very sad. Sad but realistic and accepting. Very nice.
Hattie~ I appreciate you.
Owen~ I had not thought of this from the perspective of family/siblings separated by countries of residence. Thank you for telling me this was meaningful for you.
twinkly sparkles~ Let me pour you a cup of tea or coffee and tell you how important your appraisal of this poem is for me. Profoundly so......
Sugar or cream?
Your poem is so beautiful and sad too. The warmth of the sun pulling you together and then apart! You write so well I am in tears. I shall now repeat what I said in answer to your very kind comment on my page.
Yes it is an amazing thing and three of us as well, I am so sorry that you and your sister have drifted apart. It is sad that now you have lost the tenuous link of the birthdays, maybe you could send a Christmas card. Sorry none of my business. I just know that I would feel I was bleeding if I was completely severed from any of my sisters or brothers. Sadly I know this happens and seemingly in your case just distance between you. My husband and his brother no longer speak or communicate and there are only about 15miles between them. My husband had a lifetime of being taken for granted and used till finally he just stopped doing what he was bid. It grieves me and I know it grieves him too but neither will relent. Thank you for such a lovely comment on my poem I wrote it from the heart. I hope you can find your sister again, and if not well she is there and you are here so be well and happy and just pray she is too! xx
willowdot~ Oh my, what consoling comments. I am so touched by them, and heartened also. Will be thinking of what you said for the better part of the day, and considering what you said beyond that, most definitely. Many thank yous.
Sage is a Native American healing herb, isn't it? It likely isn't related at all to the spice but something in the essential similarity of the words struck a chord with me. May we all grow to love one another again.
Lovely poem, Lydia.
susan~ Thank you and, yes, Native Americans use it in healing teas and for ceremonial smudging. It is related to, but not the same as, the European (garden) herb that many will be using in their upcoming Thanksgiving dressing. The garden herb's Latin name is Salvia, and the sagebrush Latin name is Artemisia. As a little aside, the University of Nevada, Reno, yearbook is named Artemisia. :)
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