Archive for the ‘Poetry’ Category

• GIVE GRANDMA A KISS

  Date: 2015.07.30 | Category: Poetry, The Art of Writing | Response: 0

  Note: maybe it’s the heat (blessing of summer), but I just noticed my last post (be patient, I procrastinate, I don’t post often) was about this same poem! This one, again, a slightly different version.

  It’s been an amazing summer! Beginning with participating in a class taught by Alison McGhee at Metro State! The class motivated me to get back to poetry. One of the poems I wrote about my grandson Ethan is an honorable mention in the Goodreads monthly poetry contest (this is the first time I’ve submitted anything-wow, what an honor). I haven’t written anything since the class, but as writers we shouldn’t be hard on ourselves, the writing will happen when we/or it is ready-but, sometimes we need to be among other writers to help make that happen.

  Give Grandma a Kiss
  for Ethan, my nonverbal, autistic grandson

  I always wear mauve lipstick, give
  Grandma a kiss—

  He leans in, all seven years of him, knowing
  more than I know after
  67 years of thousands of kisses.

  He leans in, without hesitation. I
  mark his brown forehead with a temporary
  tattoo. My kiss his kiss. Like no kiss
  a man has given me. Words

  not necessary language. His way
  of love, spontaneous, silent

  a heart organic, knowing what it is
  to hold breath a millisecond; a mime
  not needing to be understood.

  But Grandma wants to see underneath
  the innocence, to reach what she lost
  or never experienced.

  Later, my daughter-in-law, the nurse,
  questions what she thinks is a scratch;
  how has he hurt himself this time?

  The hurt is mine; the gift unwrapped,
  visible, transparent.

  https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17029183-please-vote-for-the-august-2015-goodreads-newsletter-finalists