Saturday, May 10, 2008

Neatly Put Away

My mother’s in a box, all neatly put away.
Her singing Three Little Fishies at the dinner table;
her not-quite stern reminders: “I hope you’ve done your homework”
her working turps and oils on canvas into a radiant heat;
her lisping Castillan;
her Judy Garland imitation;
her temper and impatience;
her memories of her old fashioned aunts we never met;
her imprecations, “Oh dear GOD!”
her prayers;
her love of children;
her faith in her husband:
all have gone the way of seamed stockings,
twenty-five thousand dollar New Jersey farmhouses,
and neighborhood clambakes among the mosquitos.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maggie:

I'm moved by your words. The details "paint" a poetic picture, of your mother.

Thanks,

Rebecca

Maggie said...

Thanks, Rebecca. I have so many impressions of my mother, it's an act of absurdity to try to paint her in any medium, but also an act of tribute.