Welcome Poetry Friday: In the Mourning & A Call to Gather
Thank you for stopping by. Today, I am honored to host the community that continually inspires me. Please find the Mr. Linky below to wander the Poetry Friday posts and/or to add your poem to this week's roundup.
Today, I offer...
In the Mourning
On my walk,
I think of two women
I sit between in time:
The Grandmother,
who ran her home like a business.
and The Granddaughter
who, someday, may run her own.
I bury my face,
in hands that know the work,
after witnessing
another woman,
qualified, steady, competent,
brushed aside.
I want to run into my house,
bolt the door,
never go out again
to meet the eyes
of other women
who sold the dream
for pennies.
But my grandmother,
who lived in a time that kept her from
the job she wanted,
her own money,
her own home,
whispers - no, shouts - in my ear,
"There is work to do."
My young granddaughter
is watching from my lap,
she saw the warrior woman,
head strong, heart open,
stand, and
with great strength say,
"I will not concede the fight."
In the mourning,
the sun still rises
painting a picture of hope.
For these two women -
one of my past,
one of the future -
I must stand up,
dust myself off,
and get back to the work.
© Cathy L. Mere, 2024
Thanks for your heartfelt, intergenerational poem prodding us on Cathy, yes we have much to do, and what a powerful speech VP Kamala gave us! Thanks also for hosting the Roundup!
ReplyDeleteThank you. When I signed up for this week, I didn't consider that it was election week. Oh my. As you say, there is much to do.
DeleteGosh! What a powerful poem. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by.
DeleteThanks, Cathy, for sharing this poem. And thanks for hosting. Your post made me know (it confirmed what I already knew) that it was alright to share what I have been feeling this week. ~ Carol from The Apples in My Orchard (this email does nto match my blog - but still belongs to me).
ReplyDeleteI questioned posting it, but it is where I am right now. I've realized I need to have more conversations. We get better together. Thanks for stopping by.
DeletePowerful, beautifully written poem, Cathy. Perfect for this moment. Thanks for sharing it and thanks for hosting!! (My post goes live Friday at 6 a.m.)
ReplyDeleteAn important poem for everyone, Cathy - and very much needed. Tthanks for sharing, and for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThough I come and go (because...writing, HA!) I always keep tabs on this group. It has been fun to watch everyone's poetry evolve. The number of poetry books that have come out of this group makes my heart smile. I can't tell you how much each of the poets inspires me. As I said, I'm honored to host such a fantastic group of humans.
DeleteYes! No faltering now, time to get going! This is beautiful and so full of pride and heart, too, Cathy! Thank you for it and for hosting!
ReplyDeleteAs I told my daughter, it's a long game. Thanks for stopping. I'm looking forward to visiting your space.
Delete"who sold the dream for pennies" Painful but accurate. It didn't even occur to me to write a poem about how things have been going. I'm glad you did! Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure if it was the poem to post as the host of some of my favorite people, but it's where the week has been. I planned to write more of an introduction, but it felt enough to gently drop a poem. Poetry gets us through. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThank you for hosting, Cathy, and even more so for sharing this powerful, poignant poem. (I've got a post on this theme as well, as I guess a lot of us do this week.) Love the Maggie Smith quote - what a brilliant (and brilliantly witty) light she was.
ReplyDeleteMaggie is my go-to. I knew she'd have the words to push onward. It's fun to live in a city near her. I keep hoping that someday I'll just pop into a coffee shop, and there she'll be. Ha! Not creepy at all. Bahahaha. I'm quite excited about her new book about writing, scheduled to come out in April of 25. You are quite right; she is a light right now, and I'm trying to find all the brightness that still shines in the world.
DeleteA most thought provoking poem, Cathy. A poem with political undertones that resonate all the way to my home in Australia. That intergenerational connection is vital. We look back and we look forward. Loss is not defeat. You are defeated when you give up and I sense you will continue to strive for this critical change. Thanks also for hosting.
ReplyDelete"Loss is not defeat." Truth. It's another step closer when I think about it with some objectivity (which is hard to muster currently). Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteCathy, thank you for this beautiful poem of hope. It inspired my post today. Your grandmother and granddaughter as part of the poem is inspirational. Indeed, "There is work to do." Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThank you. You can't go wrong talking about grandmothers and grandchildren in my book. They are some of my favorite people. I look forward to stopping by your blog this weekend.
DeleteCathy, you wrote from your heart. As so many said, your poem is powerful, especially during this week. Your title provides a clue to your poem. Thank you for hosting. It is always a pleasure to read your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol. Oh, titling. Ha. I am always trying to decide how to pick the best title for a poem. Should it give something away? Should it make a clear point? The struggle is real. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThank you this heartfelt poem, Cathy, and for hosting today. It is important that we remember the lessons of our grandmothers and continue the work.
ReplyDeleteThey are among my favorite people to remember. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThank you so much for this, Cathy. I have been thinking about this, about our daughters and son and how to meet this moment. Part of it is reaching back in time, to the other darknesses, to find role models there - your poem so illuminates this. Thank you for hosting and for being a light. xoxo, a.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Amy. I also appreciate the reminder that our sons felt this, too - and are essential in this work. We all step together to build a stronger tomorrow. I remind myself that bumps are to be expected. I'm so grateful to those who shine light into the world, not just now but every day. This community is filled with these people.
DeleteOh, that third stanza, Cathy. Yes. It's harder to face other women and people in marginalized communities who voted for him than it is to face to people who I expected to vote for him. Sigh. This is a powerful poem, and I feel it in my gut. But also, we might need a few more days to grieve first. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteIt will take some time to make sense of it all. Thankfully we have a poetry distraction today. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThanks for sharing your "mourning" with us, Cathy. We're always glad to see you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Irene. I always enjoy time alongside this community. It’s always a breath of fresh air.
DeleteI am left, this week, with a sense that our story is not over. Your grandmother knew that. Now we know it. And we are committed --for our children and grandchildren today-- to show them what it means to become.
ReplyDelete“To become…”
DeleteI love this!
I wish you would have been able to write a different poem for a different outcome, but you wrote the right poem for this week. Thank you for sharing your heart, and for the reminder (in your generous comments) that poetry heals.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been quite certain that poetry can save the world. At the very least, it keeps me anchored.
DeleteCathy, your poem is just what I needed to read this morning. For generations, women have been oppressed. The fight continues. I will continue to hope for a new world for my daughters and my granddaughters. We have to be the stars in this darkness.
ReplyDeleteYes, we will press on, shining the light to guide us forward.
DeleteYou betcha there is work to do...and the trick is to figure out, each of us, what is our best work in this time. Pretty sure for most of us here, it is passing the word, and you did a beautiful job of it this mourning.
ReplyDeleteWhat is our best work in this time? This is a beautiful question, Heidi, to sit with in this moment. It is a question that will help each of us find our next step.
Delete"The sun still rises, "the stars will still shine (Cynthia Rylant's book) - we cling to these encouraging words. I love what Heidi said about figuring out our best work in this time, a time to roll up our sleeves and go to work.
ReplyDeleteYour poem about that stoic warrior grandmother, head strong and heart open, tells us it's time to get back to the work. I love how you looked to the past and to the future and then to yourself for today's important work.
Cynthia Rylant always finds the right words. The light is always there to guide us. Thanks for stopping.
DeleteI feel this so much! I have been struggling with what words to say to my grandgirls, first time voters who voted with determination and hope,
ReplyDeleteIt is so true. There just aren’t easy words right now. How lucky they are to have you to walk beside them and guide them through.
DeleteYour poem is a keeper! Yes, yes, and YES! Thank you. I'm a regular PF poster. But, was away at a conference and just couldn't keep up this week--especially after Tuesday. Thank you for hosting. Thank you for bringing the words we and I needed.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathy, for your powerful poem. This has been a devastating week. I, too, will get back to the work, will keep moving, but I'm not there yet. In the meantime, it's good to know we're not alone.
ReplyDelete