Resilience (with thanks to Joyce Carol Oates)
She inherited his crooked
smile and big feet,
broad shoulders, no hips.
She inherited his steady
nerves, practical sense,
how to take care of things,
how to bury thoughts.
Like him, she knew
that family came first,
that burdens were blessings
like resilience and loss.
5 thoughts on "Resilience (with thanks to Joyce Carol Oates)"
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Thoughtful, poignant – the portrait of a strong woman. Lovely.
Thank you, Kathleen.
like the inheritance of strength in the DNA Well done!
a strength poem that hides its power until later.
I finally found you, Geri. I kept looking or overlooking you. I will remedy that. I will start at the top.