growing up

[creativesoul]

it seems like yesterday---when i had my braces taken off and went on a date in that chevy impala- when my father was drunk on the table yelling ' do i have your attention now'
when the streets of new york taught me a lesson or two- and new orleans zydeco was all up in my feet-- when my children were small and the italian aunties and grandmothers were right there with irons and sewing needles trying to teach me how to be a woman-and i just went to nigeria and watched the cultures melt in my mind on the beaches of badagry while my son climbed cocanut trees-and then when they were young men- and i sat on my sons jacket in a hotel room and told him- 'if i press it for you, never tell anyone you saw me ironing'
my friend -an artist kathleen warned me 'never tell anyone you know how to do anything, they will expect it from you'
she was right'
all the women i knew, the elders. rushing past me- in a festival of the deer- all that love pouring from the eyes- and i stand here- unable to really give what they gave me- this minute-
if i could show you what they gave me- it would come as a sound that opened your heart and soul- of the deepest music- the touch of an innocent child- the quiet
of a stream with golden hands holding your face-in a way that reaches the deepest place you have-
the sweetness of a candy that rings you back to childhood- and the schoolyard= sharing that look with another kid= of' uh -oh we are in trouble''
smiles that cannot be put away- giggles that are so contagious that nothing can stop the laughter-laughing until the tears come-nearly wetting your pants=
i swear the women in my life have saved me a thousand times over-
the men were handsome, beautiful, loving- but different- loving them almost seemed like a secret and then brought out in the open- out where te winds of time blew all the leaves off my trees and i slept in the wintertime- while other portions of me grew- like a bear-the balance was always in the air-i wanted to share what i felt- what i saw- how it smelled- but all i could manage was the courage to keep on writing- keep on going- as experience like sweat dripped from my skin- and i know that these words will reach the ears that need to hear them- because i love you- and you know it- as you lay down on a feather pillow each night with whomever- i love you- because it is what they taught me= and it is the best i can do-

[gypsyjoker]

I liked this one lots, I deleted my first reply because I thought you might think I was being racist.

You know a family is a family.

Sometimes I still think about her, looking out for me so that nobody puts the evil eye on me.

meandgertrudesteinewithwoevashapiroodenspoon.jpg (39.51 KiB) Viewed 1112 times

They was some wonderful baths she gave, for a long time I thought I had 11 toes I was in heaven then.

Yes I needed to read your story,
you reminded me what the kingdom of heaven is like.
thank you for writing

[dadio]

You reveal part of your soul each time you write. You hold the reader well.

i swear the women in my life have saved me a thousand times over-
the men were handsome, beautiful, loving- but different- loving them almost seemed like a secret and then brought out in the open- out where te winds of time blew all the leaves off my trees...Love these lines.

[justwalt]

mom would make my school cloths, shirts, pants and jackets...
and we'd decorate the denim, with q-tips and bleach, drawing
peace signs and smile faces

nice to revisit those days

[creativesoul]

In the creative oceans of timelessness-
Cradled by human dreams and screaming trees