Practice of an aspiring writer, artist, and dreamer...

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Scraps

Now, I'm no poet, I'll tell you that now and apologize for the awkwardness of what will soon follow. I simply prefer the flow of prose and ignore the whole stanzas and rhyming thing. It always has confused me on how many rules poetry can have, and yet also say to throw out all of those "guidelines" and wing it. I'm aware of how prose also has rules like grammar and verb tense and such to follow, but those as well can be ignored if you do it right and/or intentionally. For some reason though, poetry just seems like slopping through two feet of snow: awkward, unusual, and tiring.

Then again, practicing poetry is good for prose, and my one friend has offered to put my words to music if I ever send anything to her. On a similar note, my grandmother passed away a couple of weeks ago and I'm taking it harder than I expected. Writing poetry and crocheting have really helped me cope, as well as focusing on my plans for the future. So here is simply a girl remembering her favorite aspects of her grandmother and trying to keep the memory of such a strong woman alive.

Nimble fingers, thin
Long and pale,
Expertly weave yarn,
Thread, or string.
A pause and point,
Her nail sparkles
In the fading light,
Her words of wisdom
Lost to naive ears.

Frosted eyes behind
Thick round lenses
Marked with a line ----
A German nose
Shades thin lips on a
Round, soft face. Irma smiles,
Cracking the ice.

This one is actually about my grandmother's/ aunt's house, which will probably be sold soon. It's where my father grew up and where I have always gone for the fondest memories with my family.

Simple white with evergreen trim,
A bench swing on the porch,
Sliding in the breeze.
The actual shape of the exterior
Escapes my wandering mind, but
The memories live within the house
Framed in dark wood molding,
Bathed in warmth,
Smelling like home-cooked meals and laundry,
Squished around a gargantuan dining table,
Decorated in Christmas lights, and
Covered under a hand-knit afghan,
Made just for you.