Sunday, April 12, 2009

Origins

Today's napowrimo prompt asks, "where do you come from?" Here is my answer:


My earliest world is
One of shapes and feelings
An awareness that
Everything in that little
Apartment is everything

Daddy is working late
Something called swing shift
I am eating chicken pot pie
And following her movements
With my young eyes

But she is there with me
I think she is folding
Laundry and carrying
Inside her what will
Be my little brother

She is always somewhere
Within reach
There is a cord that ties
I am for her
And she is for me

As long as she is with me
We are complete

8 comments:

  1. Very touching images of your mother. I especially like the specifics: "eating chicken pot pie," "folding laundry."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank You
    We are complete.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice memoir of the "completeness" of childhood.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just beautiful...

    (and thank you! I love your poems, too.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. "I am for her/And she is for me" So lovely, and so true.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This transported me into a child's world.

    ReplyDelete
  7. sounds like good memories.....good words

    ReplyDelete
  8. So very tender, Erin. The pot pie is such a powerful image. For me, when pot pies were placed in the oven, that meant my parents were going out and I'd have a babysitter. I can just smell the folding of the laundry and how much that meant home. Thank you for this wonderful poem. I sure am glad it's April!

    ReplyDelete