The Marrs
My mother is in the middle, back row
I remember
Christmas, 1959 - my grandmother's cottage,
the grainy home movie my sister
and I will watch
(for maybe the last time?)
this Christmas:
all the glamorous aunts and uncles
coming out the door, smiling
into the movie camera,
our dad marching along the street
with his high school band -
a time that felt innocent, and hopeful,
our dreams all waiting up ahead.
I remember
my first ten years by the sea,
landing here with exultation,
my dream come true, joy
on a daily basis until
I had to leave. And the gratitude
years later, when the universe
gave me yet another miracle
and allowed me to return.
And now life is an old movie,
black and white, that rolls
behind my eyes: my relatives
forever glamorous, forever young,
the hard years still ahead,
the loss of them one by one
as they left the stage.
Will my sister and I cry
when we watch the film this year,
as our mother did the last time
we watched it with her?
I am aging gratefully in my small room
by the sea, my daily prayer
is "Thank You!" for all life
has gifted me.
For Mary's prompt on Wednesday at What's Going On: Reflection / Looking Back / Age.
You are also aging gracefully dear Sherry.
ReplyDelete". . . a time that felt innocent, and hopeful,
ReplyDeleteour dreams all waiting up ahead." Exactly what we should save in the "old movie"--all those stills run together for nostalgia's sake, and yes, I am grateful for how you end with gratitude for the present, of which our photos are few.
"And now life is an old movie." Oh, I hear you with this. I too like to look back and picture my relatives younger. I see them all sitting around the table at Thanksgiving/Chistmas -- a full table. I see smiles and laughter and a good card game afterwards. Most are no longer around, but I am thankful for every moment they had on stage!
ReplyDeleteYou really ARE lucky to have that 1959 movie that your sister and you can watch. Tears, yes, but it is something special to be able to see them all alive again!
I like the happiness, joy and the contentment the poem captures. A good life journey should be like this. "I am aging gratefully in my small room
ReplyDeleteby the sea, my daily prayer
is "Thank You!" for all life
has gifted me." Stellar.
Living by the sea must be lovely. As your mother was!!
ReplyDeleteI love the echo of ‘I remember’ in your poem, Sherry, sparsely sewn and effective. It’s amazing what we can remember after so many years. And I too think of that time as ‘innocent, and hopeful, our dreams all waiting up ahead’, and of life as an old movie.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem Sherry. Thank you. Annell
ReplyDeleteHow precious to have movies (or even tapes or photos) that old and still be able to view them.
ReplyDeleteMy parents lost a lot, and when the time came my mother and sister and I decided to send all Mother's family photos (no movies or tapes survived) to a cousin out West who seemed more likely to be able to preserve them for another generation. Tintypes from the 1880s, but a lot of snapshots had already faded beyond recognition...
I had a scrapbook of my grandma's that she began in the late 1800's - photos of horse and buggies, etc. It is falling apart and I recently gave it to my sister. I preserved as many old photos as I could in some self-pblished photo books I made. Good to have the images preserved.
DeleteI would love to see your movie...dont suppose there is a way of putting it on youtube? Lovely pics of your relatives...Rall
ReplyDeleteHa, I never thought of that, Rall. Will ask my tekky sister.
ReplyDeleteSherry,
ReplyDeleteA most beautiful poem, filled with your wonderful memories of those precious family moments.
It's great to have a home movie, that can place you and your sister, back into that cherished atmosphere.
I too really those more innocent and simpler times, associated with Christmas. My mother worked so hard to create the magic.
Thank you for sharing your memories:)
"I am aging GRATEFULLY" may be the most magnificent mantra of all time. Thank you for this lovely poem.
ReplyDelete