Unsung Lullaby : A Collaboration

image from fotothing.com

artist unknown

[I was paired with Susie Clevenger of Confessions of a Laundry Goddess for a collaboration for Real Toads. This is the result.  Susie's lament comes first, followed by my response]

UNSUNG LULLABY

Tears fall from the unsung lullaby
onto the cradle of my empty arms.

My age would speak of grandchildren,
blue eyes that mirror my daughters’,
the gentle laughter to echo
the sound that bubbles from
the well that is my offspring.

Our family tree stands pruned
of the wonder of my children.
Life’s fate took their unborn
before they could even be conceived.

I wrap in my cloak of unspoken words
to grieve life’s unfairness.
I feel most selfish to weep in my valley
when my beautiful girls have bravely
walked through the valley of their own loss.


Where is my encourager that I might smile?
I cannot stay in my dark pit to succumb to self pity.
My children are the sun of my days.
I must not become their cloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susie, do you hear??
Listen. Listen.
There’s a voice,
singing in the wind.
Hear her with me.
It is Wind Woman,
who is speaking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“When the cold North Wind blows
a bitter blast upon
your shivering shoulders,
listen carefully to her voice.

She has come to take
your keening song
and blow it away
across the mountaintops.

She is making way
for the warm West Wind
to come,
who will softly dry your tears,
and whisper words
of promise.

West Wind will say:

Let your arms
and your heart open wide,
and Life will send you
little voyagers
to love.
The lonely unloved
children of the world
are waiting for
your smile,
your hug,
your heart.

As you travel
on your journey,
keep your lap ready
and your arms
outstretched and open
and, one by one,
through the years,
they will find you.

This, I promise,
will return
the sun
to your sky.
This will give
your lovely daughters
Hope that,
one day,
their empty arms
will fill
with children,
too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susie, did you hear her?
I heard her speaking, too.
My friend,
any time your arms,
your dreams,
your heart,
are feeling lonely,
just listen.
Listen to hear
Wind Woman
singing on the wind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~