David Hightower - My Nephew At Seven - Appalachian Poetry
MY NEPHEW AT SEVEN
The first timid steps tremble
the water at the edge of the pond.
Each summer I have guarded
against his forgetful drift
too soon into the deep.
Now, at seven, his babyfat has floated away.
His eyes have learned to glide
across the mirror of the world.
I watch him begin to swim
into a choppy confidence.
A tiny Odysseus, he dares the first journey
from shallow edge to shallow edge
of the deep centered pond.
His little boy face grows grim.
His dive shatters sky and trees.
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Reviews of "My Nephew At Seven"
Reviewed by Andre Bendavi Benyehu (Reader)
Reviewed on January 14, 2009
Every time I am privileged to read Your works I remember words of His Grace Ralph Waldo Emerson, and His Holiness Hesiod. The reason is that most of the things they said that a Poet does ~ You do!
Nice work David...it is those moments when we find ourselves admiring and grasping the joy we receive upon the visual effects our family gives us....the young can make us feel that life is more than reality...it is as you say a shattering of the skies and trees...
The comment from a guy who roughly mimics poets from past centuries and plagiarizes La Fontaine is... silly, to say the least. But he's been rude and envious in his comments all over the site, so... never mind, as Charlie says.
I admire your poetry. It is in the way you look at the world, it's in the eyes before it is transformed into written word. This is tender without being condescending and the minutest details come to life in just a few lines.
David-- Don't mind Alex Dihes-- if you check out his site, you'll see his "poetry" is rather unremarkable.
Yours, however, is superb! Some of the best I've read, including Shelley, Keats and especially Byron. Yours has a Frosty flavor that a reader can really savor.
The imagery in this beautiful poem is remarkable-- vivid, life-like and full of meaning. We see ourselves mirrored in his liquid world-- fledglings at so many things. We dipped our toes in your poem, and dived in head-first, and thrilled at the beauty of the movement. --Charlie
David,
A succinct look at boyhood and indeed life beyond the pond, as we shakily at first contemplate that first plunge, trusting those around, to rescue us if the water should prove to be too deep.
Rockie Coppolella
“The woman or man who is a poet, or fiction writer, or playwright, or all of these, is engaged constantly in a jazz ballet of vocabularies, passions, genders, histories, perspectives, death, love, and life. The music of revelation announces itself to
BEFORE DARKNESS FALLS Retails for 14.95 / but you can have it now for only 11.95 This is a book of poetry and prose that deals with real life issues that all of mankind comes to face. Some of the poems deal with the tenderness of love, while others s
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Every time I am privileged to read Your works I remember words of His Grace Ralph Waldo Emerson, and His Holiness Hesiod. The reason is that most of the things they said that a Poet does ~ You do!
In respect and admiration,
Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU
enjoyed...
Art Sun....
I admire your poetry. It is in the way you look at the world, it's in the eyes before it is transformed into written word. This is tender without being condescending and the minutest details come to life in just a few lines.
I love the lines:
"Now, at seven, his babyfat has floated away.
His eyes have learned to glide
across the mirror of the world."
Axilea
John
Yours, however, is superb! Some of the best I've read, including Shelley, Keats and especially Byron. Yours has a Frosty flavor that a reader can really savor.
The imagery in this beautiful poem is remarkable-- vivid, life-like and full of meaning. We see ourselves mirrored in his liquid world-- fledglings at so many things. We dipped our toes in your poem, and dived in head-first, and thrilled at the beauty of the movement. --Charlie
A succinct look at boyhood and indeed life beyond the pond, as we shakily at first contemplate that first plunge, trusting those around, to rescue us if the water should prove to be too deep.
Rockie Coppolella
Cryssa
perfectly. This poem is something that you and your nephew will
treasure forever. -gene.