Two Sisters
They reared
me.
Those two
sisters
Who stand there
Side by side,
Smiling out at
me from the photo frame.
Cherry
blossom falling around them
Like snowflakes
Tinged with cochineal
…
Pink… used
for the icing
They spread
Thickly…victoriously
Into the middle of their sponge cakes.
They hauled me up
They hauled me up
Those Scottish
sisters.
With their
german biscuits
Almond slices
and
Scones…no
raisins... thankyou!
Brought
colour into my monochrome world.
Into grey years...
brought laughter…
In a grey
decade
Where the
pavements were always wet with rain.
Those canny women
Wiped my
nose.
Told me to
stand up tall
And straitened
the parting in my unruly hair.
Criticised my
big feet...
"Big as shipyards
Big enough
to float the Titanic",
They said.
Drew me into
their strong arms
And called
me
“Wee pet”.
Those sisters.
...this is linked to DeVerse...Meeting the Bar this week it's Songwriting and the link to Poetry.
I was published as a songwriter in the late 60s early 70s and find that most of my poetry now has to have some rhythm and rhyme..at the least an underlying rhythm to move it along...so I read the work quite a few times until a sense of pace comes into it naturally........
...why so long ago??
well family ...children and The Potters House Penketh took precedence until I started writing again a few years ago.
They're right re the scones: No raisins, Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy visiting your Thursday poems.
It's amazing how many can';t take the feeling in the mouth!!...but it was the dad they had to bake for!!
DeleteAnd who are the two sisters? Was one of them your Mum?
ReplyDelete...mum and aunt!! aunt lived with us for many years...loved them !1
DeleteNothing like two strong sisters to bring you up... no arguing possible
ReplyDeletehow true Bjorn..and boy were they strong!!
Deletesmiles... no raisins for me as well but i do love scones...hmmmm... and sounds like they were refreshingly human and honest and warm-hearted, those two sisters
ReplyDelete...there was no falseness in their lives...and they taught me all that I needed for my future...
Deletewhat a sweet tribute. Mum on the left?
ReplyDeleteSo nice they stayed close all those years.You portrayed their character and sense of fun in a few deft strokes.
thankyou Hanna....
Deletevery cool....to have such a relationship with your sister(s) is refreshing....and uplifting...it does not always go that way in this day and age...
ReplyDelete...even then there were other members of the family who were not so close....both quite fierce at times!!
DeleteBeautiful Gerry - I love your poetry.
ReplyDeleteI used to write a lot but since I have been on medication for my blackouts I have lost all the creative urge sadly.
Thankyou Pat....I found it hard to get back to it after the year with Alan's illness...but I joined The Wire Writers and got lots of encouragement!
DeleteI think you captured them in these lyrics: loyal, loving, fierce, close, comforting, but sparing on compliments..ay, that would be the Irish and the Scot, I think. Well done. I found a melody to play with your words as I read.
ReplyDeleteThey were full of character!
Delete