The child cradled the balloon,
what was left of it,
with wisdom beyond her years,
she sang a song of loss,
reality, what was and what is,
now grown, she’s flown
floated, landed
(grounded),
no hot air within her,
but love
makes her soar
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This is a quadrille for dVerse. The prompt word was balloon. This poem is based on an event that I cannot explain without embarrassing one of my daughters, but the sentiment applies to both daughters.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
I can’t imagine what the incident could have been but it has given a lovely poem 🙂
Thank you, Jane. She was about 2, and we’re hoping the video still exists to show her husband. 😉
That’s mean 🙂
🙂
What is a quadrille poem? I mean, I looked up on the link and saw something about 44 words, but really? that’s it? Anyway, I like this poem and the imagery created, whatever form it is ;)!
Thank you, Luanne. I’m glad you liked it.
Yes, it’s just 44 words. I have no idea why that number. There must be some reason. I kind of like having a prompt and that limit, and then my mind just goes with it. 🙂
It must have something to do with the original meaning of the word. And I agree about writing constraints. They are fabulous. More people should use them. But the idea of a poem that is simply 44 words with no other constraints is a little odd–there is no balance or push and pull or something. Not sure that makes sense. I’d rather see it as 44 words and one other constraint to the thing. Your poem works, but the reason it does is not really anything to do with the form, if that makes sense.
Yes, I know what you mean, but somehow I still enjoy writing them. 🙂
LOL, you like all the constraints! I’d like to see you write a sestina with bougainvillea and scorpions and one line of Spanish ;).
Oh no–is that a challenge? I’ve never written a sestina. . .
Well, there you go. You have been given a master assignment. LOL. I know that I, for one, have never pulled off a decent sestina.
Oh wait–it has to be decent? 🙂
It has to be a decent sestina, but not a sestina that is decent.
Hmmm. . .we shall see. I’m going to be working intensely on my rape books for the next couple months. I might need this challenge. 🙂
You will need a creative break, yes, and also how will you post about rape every day :)?
Ugh.
Better love than hot air to make one soar. How one approaches loss may be the way to get that love. We have videos of our daughters when they were very young as well. If you have them backed up they should be around for her husband to see.
Thank you, Frank.
We have a bunch of old videos on those little cassettes that my husband has been trying to transfer. We’ll see what he finds. 🙂
Oh, I love these lines, so much:
“now grown, she’s flown
floated, landed
(grounded)”
Wonderful.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Lovely, Merril
Thank you, Derrick.
Isn’t it curious, that most memories of very young children are held by their parents, who then return them to their children when they are able to retain them? The thing is, with home videos, how sure can we be that a child’s memory isn’t from a third-person perspective. Seeing my daughter watch (and re-watch) recordings from her early years, I sometimes wondered that.
That is true, Ken, but then again, all memories are suspect and filtered through all sorts of emotional lenses.
They say that if you can remember being at Woodstock, you weren’t there. Back in the eighties, guys I worked with said one of our supervisors was, so I asked him. He said, “That’s what they tell me.”
I wonder if he was? 🙂
He was so laid back and talked about it only when it was brought up, so I’m pretty sure he was. He was the one who told me that “If you can remember” line and would joke about it.
Back in ’69, in the Buffalo area, I was 16. Some of my friends (6 or 7 guys) had just graduated, and got their hands on a small straight truck – probably a used U-Haul – for the 300-350 mile trip. They thought they were going to drive right in and camp out of it. They ended up parking and walking a couple of miles to get in. I passed up the chance. All I could think about was my father’s reaction if I disappeared for a week.
So, there’s my Woodstock story. 😉
Oh–well, maybe you did go, but you don’t remember. 😉
Yeah, that’s it!
Check the Woodstock album covers carefully–maybe you’re in one of the photos.
Maybe in the movie – hiding behind balloons, somewhere.
Full of wonder and latent joy. I like the comment above about memories of very young children held by their parents. So true!
Thanks so much, Marian.
Yes, it is true about memories. 🙂
The funny thing about my grown kids is they don’t care what I say about them. They have friends who are LinkedIn, where my blog streams. I guess I needed to say this because maybe I should be upset they think I will only say good things. (?) Their weird childhood things are more likely to come out of their own mouths. Lol 😀
Oh, my daughter loved the poem.
I just wouldn’t go into detail about all the details. 🙂
I understand. 🙂
🙂
a beautiful poem: the ending lifted me 🙂
Thank you! I had forgotten this one. 😀
we often forget our best ones —
Thank you. 😏