Tuesday, September 1, 2009

AS YOU ARE


Come join the Poetry Party whose Theme is:

"Moments"

sponsored by Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts

"Art and poetry are essentially about savoring a moment in time,
looking and listening closely and breaking open its gifts
and basking in its wonder."


...for a little boy I cared for a few years ago...

As You Are
If I could have my way,
I would cease the pendulous
passage of time,
to keep you
…as you are.

And I would etch your elfin smile
and dandelion clock hair
into stone,
to keep you
…as you are.

But, alas,
I have neither the power to suspend time,
or the crafter’s gifted hand,
to keep you
…as you are.

So I will stand aside and watch,
as with the wax and wane of tides and shifting sand,
you evolve from boy to man,
and I will shed a selfish tear.
I couldn’t, for just a little while, keep you
…as you are.

Marisa
March 23, 2004

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem and a beautiful image.
    But think how horrible it would be if a child reached a point and then quit aging.

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  2. Marisa, Marisa, Marisa!

    This is glorious. Poetry sometimes makes me step back, away, and shy.

    But this one, I want to hug close. It's really lovely. Real. Just grand.

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  3. Lovely poem...so speaks to my heart. as the mother of sons I have felt this way about all of them!

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  4. awesome poem...and though it is exciting to watch them grow I know the feeling of sometimes wishing you could just keep them those innocent kids for awhile longer

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  5. Marisa, this is really beautiful, filled with longing and poignancy. Thanks so much for your offering to the Poetry Party.

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  6. Beautiful poem! Many times I have looked at a young beautiful child and wished I could capture that beauty.

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