Thursday, February 05, 2009

From long-ago songs and someday goals

mom and kids readingI am from hardwood floors, from Meyer's Dairy milk in glass bottles, served in wine glasses on special occasions.

I am from glass shelves lined with houseplants watered every Saturday.

I am from black walnut, honeysuckle, lilacs, and grass on a hill.

I am from makers of music, milkers of cows, riders of rails, Beckers and Stephenses, fair skins and blue eyes.

I am from the stubborn and the silent, the peacemaking and the retelling.

From long-ago songs and someday goals.

I am from Sunday Mass with doughnuts after.

I am from the centre, from this side of the Mississippi and that, from braunschweiger and fried mush.

From the prize-winning irises and the fourth commandment, the stroller rolling down Tracy Hill and the dog named Susie.

I am from quilts on my walls, rings on my finger, names handed down from generation to generation. I am a daughter, a sister, a mother before I am anything else.

Thanks to Kate for tagging me with this particularly creative meme, which was a nice challenge for me at a time when the blogging well is a little dry. I do love writing about old family stories.

Thanks also to Magpie for the Tickled Pink award! I think you're the bees' knees, Magpie.

8 comments:

Kate said...

Wow, this is awesome. Fabulous job. I LOVE your poem. And your doughnuts after Sunday mass reminded me of how we always went to Entenmenn's next door to get a black and white cookie after Sunday mass. I need to start rituals like that with my kids.

Magpie said...

That's really lovely.

JGH said...

Picturing these things gives us such a good sense of your background, values, parents, etc. What a cool meme.

Kirsetin Morello said...

Mayberry, I've seen this several times, and find it so hard to narrow. You did a great job. Thinking of you.--hang in.

Julie Marsh said...

That was beautiful. I love that photo.

Patois42 said...

This is just too beautiful.

Lady M said...

That was lovely. I get a real sense of your roots.

Heather said...

That was really fun to read.