Strengths and Weaknesses
by Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen — Read all 1,670 poems by Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen
“You’re almost out of gas, again!”,
my husband fumes, as I meekly agree,
sitting in the Tahoe at the station,
stocking up on water, and gas, for our trip
to the river, or rockhounding, or going anywhere, really.
“Did you see those flowers?”, I exclaim,
straining my neck to look back, but
they are gone, so fast, a flicker of color,
I’m hoping he wasn’t thinking, of something, but,
“Huh, no I didn’t, I missed it, sorry.”
Drat, he would have loved it, we will stop
and I will take his hand, tugging gently,
to a part of heaven’s colors, and he will nod,
appreciation glowing in his eyes.
“No, no I will not go slogging around goat shit today!”,
I make known, having actually taken a shower,
and smelling clean, I am unwillingly to even go near
the Corrals, the smell clings and lingers,
“wait ‘til Dad gets home, he’ll be dirty
anyway, and he’s used to it, growing up
with animals, and such.”, I wisely,
and selfishly, advise and command,
and he does and they do.
“Did you ever see an animal in a rock, Dad?”,
is asked, after their maternal grandmother,
gives their mother a book on painting animals
on rocks, which I understand, immediately.
Thinking thoughts of work, worry and money
to keep a family alive, he pauses, and replies,
“Yes, my daughter, your mother has shown
me how to see many things in nature.”, and
the daughter smiles, she has seen this is so.
“Jerry?”, is heard by all, “this screw fell off
my computer chair, can you help me?” They
come to see and figure out the problem,
the offending chair is flipped over, amid gasps
of shock. “Ugh, mom, look at your rollers, full
of cat hair, floss, string, man, how are you rolling around?”
I knew I was having problems but,
my weakness is offset by their strength,
and I smile to see my family's loving nature,
musing on our balance and feeling, strong..
Erin Moen
8/8/02
Saturday, October 26, 2002
The third stanza refers to the fact that we helped feed a tiny runt goat, 3x a day for several weeks over the summer, when it got down to twice a day, I was thrilled, only having to run me and the kids down for the 1st feeding, but sometimes Jerry would be later getting home and the girls would start clamoring at me...:)
|
Share
Print
Save
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
staying together good or bad.
enjoyed!