Poetry about the bliss and madness of raising daughters
The Crush
Believe it or not,
I know how it feels.
For me,
it was Gary Stephens.
6’ 6”, probably all of
a hundred and thirty pounds . . .
I thought he was gorgeous.
I timed all my locker breaks around his.
He didn’t know I was alive.
So I know how it feels,
sweetheart.
When he doesn’t smile back,
when he winks at someone else,
when you think, "This will be the day!”,
but it isn’t.
Today, that boy will not tease you
in the hallway.
Today, that boy will not ask you to
meet him at the mall.
Today that boy will not notice that
you are amazing, and can talk about anything,
and have incredible eyes.
But someday,
some boy
will.
Excerpt
The Crush
Believe it or not,
I know how it feels.
For me,
it was Gary Stephens.
Six six, probably all of
a hundred and thirty pounds…
I thought he was gorgeous.
I timed all my locker breaks around his.
He didn’t know I was alive.
So I know how it feels,
sweetheart.
When he doesn’t smile back,
when he winks at someone else,
when you think, “This will be the day!”,
but it isn’t.
Today, that boy will not tease you
in the hallway.
Today, that boy will not ask you to
meet him at the mall.
Today that boy will not notice that
you are amazing, and can talk about anything,
and have incredible eyes.
But someday,
some boy
will.
Professional Reviews
Southern Scribe
"Ferrer's poems range from humorous to insightful. . . a good inspirational gift book." -- Joyce Dixon
Women Writers
". . .quite enjoyable and definitely an achievement in poetry. . .vivid and colorful metaphors. . .an honest and beautiful volume of poems on motherhood." —Zeno Vernyik
Curled Up with a Good [Kid's] Book
In Dancing with My Daughter, Jayne Jaudon Ferrer likens the experience and bond of motherhood to dancing. Through her poetry, she explores the relationship a mother shares with her daughter over the years. The “Waltz” is the beginning, and first chapter, discovering the tenderness of the baby and toddler years. Her final chapter is entitled “Freestyle”, the dance that promises dreams and hopes of her daughter’s future, and of the mother giving her the freedom to find her path.
A tiny book, measuring roughly five by six inches, it is perfect for sharing with little hands. Read alone, it is nice. Read with a daughter? Sharing it deepens the experience exponentially. The cover is creamy with an old black-and-white photo of a sweetly smiling little girl in an old fashioned frock. The scrapbook-like layout with layers of faded reminiscent colors calls out to mothers everywhere.
While some of the poems are impossibly trite, some of them are quite well done and truly tug at the heart. A few of them do beg many rereads.
The favorite - as well as perhaps the least favorite - is Mother Magic. It makes for an odd, twisted sort of grimacing grin. One of the poems in the “Jitterbug” section is called Choosing Sides. The last three lines alone make it one of the better poems.
Another notable is Budding Beauty. The mix of comedic angst and loving maternal patience is a wonderful tribute to motherhood.
There are a few that delve into the general theme of “get over it.” They exhibit less compassion, and more coldness, than one might hope for - with the exception, perhaps, of extolling the virtues and healing properties of chocolate, something every young girl ought to learn from her mother.
The very last line of Mom’s Top Ten Tickets to Trouble serves as the entire book’s redemption. That brief giggle alone might have made this little volume completely worthwhile.
In her sweet little volume of “poems of love, wisdom and dreams,” Jayne Jaudon Ferrer tries to capture the magic of those all-too-brief moments in life when we raise our daughters. To some degree, she succeeds, drawing out the impossibly tender feelings that hide in our hearts as mothers, as well as reminding us how infuriating this job can sometimes be. However, overall, the poetry and sentiments are classically cliché and routine. Mixed together, it works without panache. It simply works.
Carolynn Evans/2007 for curled up with a good kid's book
The flow of writer/poet Ferrer's writing is delicate and graceful then swinging and twirly, now foot stomping and then swaying to the beat of the hearts of Mother and Daughter. The reader follows Mom and child from the moments of choosing the perfect name to birth through the terrible twos and on to watching a beautiful butterfly emerge from the little girl cocoon. Harmony and discord, adoration and frustration each is realized, accepted and met with intuitive understanding that without the one the other would not be so sweet.
September Lullaby with its heartfelt sincerity might be the mantra for every mother trying to help their own child cope with the uncertainty caused on 9 1 1. Words spilling from the pages of Dancing with my Daughter: poems of love, wisdom & dreams are filled with merriment and admonition, rueful awakening and acceptance. The awe new mother's experience is soon offset with the antics of a toddler bounding through the house with all the abandon of a hippo on ice skates. Dainty dresses give way to styles that cause a mother to cringe before a sophisticated, stylish young woman appears. The reader considers both her personal childhood and the bonds she is forging with her own child while savoring the words Writer/poet Ferrer cleverly presents on the pages of Dancing with my Daughter: poems of love, wisdom & dreams.
Lovely gift book for a new mom, Your mom, or Grandmother. While I have only sons, I enjoyed the read, thought of my nieces and am happy to recommend Jayne Jaudon Ferrer’s Dancing with My Daughter: Poems of Love, Wisdom & Dreams.
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Being a great dad is challenging enough when you’re part of a two-person team. But now you’re raising your kids single-handedly. How can you provide the emotional, physical, and spiritual support your
When Kathy finds a small stray kitten some amazing things happen. Story's from a Mom's view of the love, caring and patience needed when a child wants to own a pet. Recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. Delightful illustrations!
