koulouria
Posted: October 29th, 2008, 8:40 pm
vaguely i remember this
though it is true nonetheless
my mom and her sisters
their mother, their daughters
a family of women around the table
they would mix the dough
hands, spanning the generations
knowledge passed,
who knows how long or how far
or where it all began?
they would roll the dough in strips
and weave them in twists
and circled braids, the old
would teach the young,
my head barely above the table
my tiny hands eager and excited
they gave me dough to roll
which i ate with impatient greed
and we laughed, oh god how we laughed!
graciously they allowed me to share
in the holy, timeless mysteries
of the hearth and the heart
these things that matter,
that define our humanity -
who and what we are,
where we've come from -
the sacred road and way
i look at my hands, my hands
i shake my head and wonder
these hands, aged, leathery
my head covered in gray -
face furrowed, a field plowed
with the worry of tomorrow's assault
with the paltry concerns of tedious necessity
and all the wonders and marvels of modernity
information at my fingertips -
her voice, as if she were next to me,
are but the crumbs of better days
though it is true nonetheless
my mom and her sisters
their mother, their daughters
a family of women around the table
they would mix the dough
hands, spanning the generations
knowledge passed,
who knows how long or how far
or where it all began?
they would roll the dough in strips
and weave them in twists
and circled braids, the old
would teach the young,
my head barely above the table
my tiny hands eager and excited
they gave me dough to roll
which i ate with impatient greed
and we laughed, oh god how we laughed!
graciously they allowed me to share
in the holy, timeless mysteries
of the hearth and the heart
these things that matter,
that define our humanity -
who and what we are,
where we've come from -
the sacred road and way
i look at my hands, my hands
i shake my head and wonder
these hands, aged, leathery
my head covered in gray -
face furrowed, a field plowed
with the worry of tomorrow's assault
with the paltry concerns of tedious necessity
and all the wonders and marvels of modernity
information at my fingertips -
her voice, as if she were next to me,
are but the crumbs of better days