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Here, Today…
“I’ll trade you a three-D tree for one human hostage.”
Says a boy to his sister, as they create the world of Traintopia.
“Okay!” she says merrily, over the wooden tracks.
And a shiny yellow peg-person becomes ready ransom
For a shiny, cookie-cutter conifer.
I sip my coffee, waking up after a night spent writing.
And marvel at the complexity of the worlds they weave.
“I got to pour the kerosene Dad bled from the lines
Into the tank,” he says, puffed up proud.
Then melts into me for a snuggle.
He’s at onc big and capable and sweetly innocent.
Nearly grown and yet, still, so young.
Untamed golden curls brush my chin as he nuzzles
Into my shoulder, just as he’s always done.
Grateful tears for the things that haven’t changed.
They rush outs to see Dad off to work
Under skies pregnant with rain and ca-runking geese.
Wild as those geese, Dancing-eyes cavorts in
As I am washing dishes and collecting laundry.
She hugs me, soft penny hair smelling of shampoo and sweat.
Soon she decides to make a documentary
With Midnight, the unwitting guinea pig.
Before long, it’s a production with props, two piggies,
A director, a camera boy, and a voice-over artist.
“We could be Hollywood stars!”, says she.
The day goes on, as evening settles over life.
Television with cuddles and squabbles on the couch.
There is joy and frustration, anger and laughter and tears
Our orbits intersecting and whirling away
In the course of we three living out our day.
There is a kind of peace and wonder
In living together, as friends.
Three morning glories, in evening…bright benefit of a cloudy day!
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Your poem catches so well the sweet harmony of everyday life. Sometimes we forget to savor each moment. This poem helps me remember to do so.
Beth –
The deeper I go into myself and the more I focus on relating with Jeremiah and Annalise as people rather than extensions of myself, property, accessories, or to-do lists of things I need to fix, the more I seem to be able to feel present in these moments, notice these little details about them.
They are both in periods of rapid growth and change, and I felt a need to capture who they were, right then, because it won’t last. Already, today, they are just a little different. Miah seems taller than yesterday, and the masculine lines emerging in his Renaissance angel face a tiny bit more defined. Lise seems suddenly more mature and complex in her thinking – she was playing chess with Miah, which is not a frequent choice for her.
I’m happy to be able to offer a gentle reminder to savor your moments, too – in the end, they are really all we have.