Gliding With Gramps Through Divorce
When the quicksand
of life inched up to her Adam’s apple
It’s about time we went fishing,
gramps said, taking her delicate hand
Remember sweetie, divorce is a dry canyon of
one-winged birds
***
Not many have what she had
Does gramps have a rub-off factor?
He closed his 90-year-old
eyes and floated away
He reaches through the moon
His arms are searchlights
***
He is the only soul she cherished thoroughly
he sings to tadpoles
red salamanders dart
dragonflies
spiral,
spiral,
swoop, cruise
torn knees of his denims
once mended with thick strands
of raven, sunflower
to see his breath again in the blue air
to laugh at his dirty jokes
After Jean Valentine
15 thoughts on "Gliding With Gramps Through Divorce"
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What a beautiful poem, Linda. Maybe it resonates extra deep with me, because I was super close with my grandfather, but wow!
“he sings to tadpoles
red salamanders dart
dragonflies
spiral,
swoop, cruise”
I just love this. The images and the sentiment are incredible.
Linda, this is concise and yet somehow you braid it SO WELL in that space and tell and entire story and reveal an entire relationship too.
Gorgeous. I agree with H.A. On her favorite lines 💙
This stunning poem took my breath away. The title is so good, and these lines in particular made me want to weep:
He closed his 90-year-old
eyes and floated away
He reaches through the moon
His arms are searchlights
And your ending couplets!
Karen, I’m really enjoying your work this year. Sorry to miss your reading recent. Just saw your most recent book at I’m Kevin Nance’s house last night. I’m ordering it!
“He closed his 90-year-old /eyes and floated away”
Just love the physical distance you create there. So well done. The whole.
love the surreal feel of the first two sections
Exquisite.
The title sings me into the poem.
Powerful and intimate. Love resonates and loss aches.
I especially love:
“It’s about time we went fishing,
gramps said, taking her delicate hand
Remember sweetie, divorce is a dry canyon of
one-winged birds”
Nice! Your gramps was one poetic fella. I guess we know where you got it 😏
Poetic licence. This poem about my friend’s grandfather who she adored. Mine died when I was 8. But I do still dream about him.
Remember sweetie, divorce is a dry canyon of
one-winged birds
Linda it was there I began to bawl. Then you destroyed me. Best fucking poem to tear a side defenses.
Love.
beautifully written
So much to love here.
“Remember sweetie, divorce is a dry canyon of/one-winged birds”
Shewwww!
Such a beautiful testimony. It dances across the page.
A memorial that we all may wish for, lauding our most holy and earth-bound character traits.
This quote is priceless:
Remember sweetie, divorce is a dry canyon of
one-winged birds
Such a moving poem.