In Conversation – dVerse Open Link Week 118

Here’s my latest entry into the dVerse Open Link – why not take a look at everyone else’s wonderful responses?

This is about me and my dad, having a conversation with him in my head.

*****

– In Conversation –

Return to me and make me smile
In my mind’s eye, stay a while
Ring your laughter in my ear
Embrace me, say there’s naught to fear

Take me back to childhood days
When all your words were full of praise
Your pride in me was plain to see
The centre of your world was me

The dead can do no wrong, they say
Rest in peace, we hope and pray
Strange it is that now you’ve left
You fill my thoughts, my heart’s bereft

Yet strangely full, I’m not alone
I carry you in every bone
My mortal fibre is borne from you
Wherever you are, think of me too.

Gloria! – dVerse Poetics

Something strange is happening in the ether. This week’s dVerse Poetics prompt yet again seems to have a certain connection with the unravelling of my own family history. I must confess, it’s like removing layer after layer of a very large onion!

This week’s prompt is all things Italian. Luckily for me (since I haven’t visited Italy), we don’t need to be obvious in how we interpret this prompt. As a bit of background, my mum used to take me to Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery every time we went into town, and I loved it. I now know that this place holds very strong and extremely fond memories for her, which adds to the joy of my own memories of our visits, which I adored.

I hope you enjoy my small snippet from my childhood – and take a look at all the other offerings on dVerse as well!

– Gloria! –

I spent my childhood here, or so it seems
A small girl, grasping her mother’s hand
Gazing open-mouthed at the glories above
Light reflecting on oil,
Paintings as lustrous as if they were finished only yesterday
And the brushes still resting, waiting to be cleaned.
If only I could reach up and touch
I just knew that my fingertips would pull away slick –
Sticky with vermillion, regal blue and baby-blush rose
A tiny remnant of Madonna and Child

 

 

Miscellany – dVerse Meeting the Bar

– Miscellany –

You can choose your friends

but not your family, so they say.

This thought comforts those who have shallow roots

or roots that are tortuous, jagged and sharp.

But sometimes, you don’t get to choose the friend –

he or she selects you in a way that surprises,

and sometimes hurts.

You don’t have a choice, it’s not always warm and cosy,

not always ideal.

But life isn’t like that – tidily arranged

with signs that point you in the direction best-suited.

So grab hold of your friend, the one who has elbowed

his or her way into your life.

And never let go.

*****

This week, we write about friendship, in honour of a poet who left us too soon, Dave King.

I didn’t have the joy of ‘meeting’ him unfortunately, but his poems and blog are there for us to visit, which I certainly will. You can read and discover many more thoughts on friendship right here.