Thursday, July 30, 2015

Poetry, Honest (Posted for Friday)..

(Note Sherry is doing well, we are on the road to SC/NC and the next up coming adventure.)

(Disclaimer: This post contains excerpts  copyrighted work. I am using it under the ‘Fair-Use Doctrine’, thanks for your attention)

My mama said to me,concerning an older sibling, “Son, there will be times one of your boys will require more attention than the other;but one day,  somehow, in the end it equals out.”

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(My mama,I vexed her soul at times.)

What does this have to do with poetry, you ask? Let me try to explain. Friend Bonnie of ‘Organic Discourse’ and the editor/proof-reader of one of my novels, was kind enough to give me a book of poems written by her late  Grandmother, ‘Stella Kelly Poole’. I read the book. BUT Poetry requires more than reading, I need the right atmosphere, a quiet evening in a swing and  sometimes what is required is a situation, one you are facing that matches the words you have read somewhere and you look for them, and find them in a poem. A poem you have only ‘read’ not felt, a poem is meant to be felt.

Stella’s words from her book,

 

“Come Sing With Me”:

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This is a quote from copyrighted material. BUT the title of the book is “Come Sing with Me” and inside she invites a special blessing on anyone who will ‘Come sing with me.”

So I have decided to sing with Stella, come with me.

In explanation of her poem she wrote, Quote:

One of my sons was continually borrowing little amounts of money. Always going to payback soon. One Christmas found him owing a little more than usual.(No big sum by today’s standards) For his Christmas present I decided to clear his bill. I knew this would leave him still broke so I found a little box that had lots of folds and creases in it. Into these folds I tucked bits of change and a small bill or two.  So Christmas he received the empty looking box with this poem I wrote for him.

Little Man

Little man, please don’t be blue

This is the best I can do

You spent my money so fast

You ought to know it wouldn’t last.

Yet Little man you’re dear, ‘tis true

No one could love you as I do

You vex me sorely, yes that’s right

But you are so sweet when you are out of sight

I forgive all your debt and

Might even do better yet

Keep this little box as I say

‘Til you’ve turned it every way

End Quote….

Now my friend this lady knew about an errant one and still is sweet.  WOW, yes she knew, the last two lines of the 2nd verse (My underline) are FACTS.

“You vex me sorely, but you are sweet when out of sight.”

AS a rule, methinks, every family has one who is a little less responsible for their own actions. In our family, both of our sons have at one time been prodigals, and ‘vexed us sorely’, that is why as I read Mrs. Stella Kelly Poole, the poems mean much.

My thanks to Bonnie for bringing more joy into our lives through Mrs. Stella, That is a beautiful name, for sure. Winking smile 

Nite Shipslog

I am told Little Man became a responsible citizen. Served his country with pride, even married a preacher’s daughter.

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1942 cars were a lot like the ‘41’s The production year was cut short,  when factories re-tooled for the war effort.… 1942-nash-600Cadillac_Convertible_1942Lincoln_Coupe_1942oldsmobile-cars-3

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6 comments:

Mevely317 said...

Love this, Jack. Better yet, your great news about Sherry ... yay!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

What a sweet book. Poetry fit for everyday life as a mother. Glad the surgeries are over and you are headed onto the next adventure.

Paula said...

Happy for Sherry and for you. Like this entry, thanks for sharing.

betty said...

That was a sweet poem and a sweet gesture the mother did for the son. I do think the majority of children do vex their parents at least once in their lives. It is neat to hear that this one did grow up to accomplish much.

Also glad to hear Sherry is doing well and you guys are on the road traveling! That is a good sign indeed!

betty

Rick Watson said...

Sounds like that poem was written during hard times. You're right, there's one in every family.
I was a handful, but my younger brother, bless his soul, turned messing up into an art form.
It's good to hear Ms. Sherry is doing well.
R

Unknown said...

Thanks, Jack, for this very nice post about Granny.

Rick, yes, there were some hard times for my parents and grandparents. I think by the time "Little Man" came along (the ninth out of ten children, if I'm not mistaken), things were probably starting to ease just a little financially, although the hard labor continued. Granny and Grandpa were farmers, and cotton was their "money crop." The kids worked the fields, and Grandpa was quite the taskmaster, I'm told.