BY STARLIGHT (photomorph) & THE LONG GONE STAR (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

THE LONG GONE STAR

Mama! Happy Birthday!
Yes, today would have been your 98th,
had you survived beyond your 34th
when I was only ten

Mama, I hardly knew ya

but I did know you couldn't abide jazz,
based on a poem of yours I stumbled
upon in my tumultuous teens, but what
music did you like to march to, in good
times and bad, inside yourself,
as you lived those few short years

and what did you do with that creativity
that bubbled over from you at times,
in story books you wrote, illustrated
and made for me by hand, the homes
you carefully decorated, the sometimes
wickedly fun Halloween costumes you'd
construct for yourself and Dad, did you
just keep that fountain covered, relegated
to some corner inside yourself in order to be
the sort of wife and mother you wanted to be

ah, Mama, I hardly knew ya

is this what your soul asked of you?
to birth and mother two children by
an alcoholic husband, one child now
deceased at the feet of alcoholism
himself, and the other, me, who feels
her life is a rather poor testament
to whatever sacrifices you made

yes, Mama, I hardly knew ya

try as I might to manifest that deep dream
I'm not even sure you knew you had,
that dream of yours that I only see
in brief flashes, small pieces of
a scintillating crazy quilt, an intuitive
vision that is still my long gone star

dear, Mama, I hardly knew ya


[non-dream free verse poem written 10-17-17 (on Mama's birthday). That refrain was inspired by the traditional folk song "Johnny, I hardly knew ye." Photomorph "By Starlight" (10-26-17 006v5a) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.