3/13/2000

A Poet's Passion

Readers occasionally send me samples of their poetry, a literary genre that both mystifies and awes me. Poets capture the essence; they crystallize human experience not only on paper but also on stage and in music, with words to stir the soul.

June Starr recently wrote to me about her poetry. "According to a year book from high school," she wrote, "my Mom was always writing poetry. As I grew up, she never mentioned her love for poetry, which is strange because I was constantly writing little verses on my school papers, scrap paper or anywhere there was enough space to do so.

"About a third of my poems deal with non-fiction material (mostly about my family, friends, animals), the next third talk about my feelings, as the enclosed poem does, and the final third with my off-beat sense of humor -- my friends call it strange -- this sense of humor tried to find its way into the end of the poem. Occasionally a real dark poem slips in from somewhere and almost scares the life out of me, but over the years I have learned to deal with these also.

"I don't get up in the morning to write. It comes as an overwhelming urge that won't go away until it is written down, and then I'm sane again.

"I am 60, married with one beloved daughter who also writes, three step-children who are the greatest gift I have ever received and eight beautiful grandchildren who for some reason actually enjoy hanging around with my husband and me -- strange, isn't it?

"We were married 17 years last August and enjoy family, music, old movies, Star Trek, pets, our home and just being together."

A RECIPE FOR MARRIAGE
By June Starr

The little things in marriage
Tend to keep it going strong,
Not the showy things you do
When something's very wrong.

Nurture your love daily,
Showing always that you care.
It will help build a foundation
That never needs repair.

Reach out to your partner
With kindly acts and deeds,
Make your love a fortress
Against all your worldly needs.

Show your mate your tender side,
Be willing to give and take.
Remember at times you must back off
To give your love a break.

Vulnerability is not a weakness,
It can be your most precious gift,
And when it is given freely,
It can give you both a lift.

Build your love on friendship,
Build your love on trust,
But get a sense of humor
Or your marriage will go bust!!

"The next poem," June wrote, "was written at the end of 1994 just after my Dad died. He was 93 years old. It reflects some of his final thoughts in my words. He was a special person."

END OF LIFE
by June Starr

Days pass by like
lightning
Streaking through the
sky
Hours pass like
minutes
My God! How fast they
fly
Time has flown--I've grown
old
Now its time to say
good-bye

A young woman sent me the following poem about her mother, who taught her thus to sooth herself and others during life's darker hours.

MOTHERS By Kathryn

When I was a little girl and got sick with my routine strep throat,
Ear infection, or cold, or the not-so-routine pneumonia or virus,
When I lay burning delirious between cold sheets,
One wise hand smoothed my hair like silk
Dipping into my delirium, giving it rhythm and respite.
Go to sleep, said the hand,
And I begged it to continue until my cells rested.

Of its own volition, now,
Whenever I clamor in panic for help that is not near,
When I determine to ease myself through,
My hand reaches up to stroke my cheek,
Smooth my hair into the rhythm of peace.
You're okay, says the hand, here I am,
And it continues until I see myself
In my growing wisdom.

Someday my little girl, delirious,
Will shake as her cells flood her brain,
And sitting on the edge of her bed I will find my hand
Smoothing her hair with the same rhythm.
This is what you need, my hand will say,
And I will continue until she reclaims her breathing
From the wisdom of a future mother.

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.