reflections from the interior
  • home
  • blog
  • reflections
  • poems
  • announcements
  • books & cards , etc.
  • contact me

Commencement

5/31/2015

2 Comments

 
COMMENCEMENT

all the women of our family
take up every seat in the center
of the second row in the auditorium

my eldest daughter digs deep
into the dark recesses of her handbag –
you know the one,
that in its cavernous depths once held
the plastic bag of crunchy oat cereal,
an extra diaper, three water bottles,
plastic keys on a teething ring,
dry socks and an extra
snuggly blankey, just in case  –
and pulls out her stash of
tissues for this occasion

she passes them down the row
to me, nestled in beside her,
to her sister, my youngest daughter,
on my other side, 
to my only granddaughter’s
best friend’s mother and to her mother,
the furthest on my left;

then, all together now we dab at our
overflowing eyes as the band begins
“Pomp and Circumstance” and
the Class of 2015 ceremoniously
processes in, wearing royal blue gowns
and mortarboards with golden tassels

like matched bookends, all the men of our family –
my daughter’s husband, and her father, and her son
on the right end;
my only granddaughter’s best friend’s father and
her grandpa and her brother on the left end -
bracket all the women, anchoring us into
these present moments,
while they telescope and zoom lens above the heads
of the family in the first row, then stepping out into
the aisles and back in again to their seats, adjusting,
capturing all these fleeting seconds filled with
pride and anticipation;

the culmination of past days and years, embodied
in our sons and daughters, who walk across this stage
as their names are called, acknowledged and congratulated,
then sent off into futures only dreamed about,
stories that are opening to possibility
 
on this, the day we honor her,
my only grandson, younger brother to our beloved graduate,
awakens a cherished memory from years gone by
as leaning into his mother’s arm,
he whispers, awestruck,
“Isn’t she beautiful!”

….. so the story goes

                                                                             
    -pab © may 2015-

2 Comments
Sue link
6/20/2015 10:46:34 am

Oh my, such vivid and exact imagery from the beginning lines of this poem to the very end. I can visualize myself there, sitting amongst the women of the family, and the emotions that were stirred in those female breasts, and the very keen sense of the now and the present almost simultaneously. And of course, the men and their recording of the moment - doing something - to commemorate this very special day. Zander's comment was priceless as well - I bet she was beautiful that day and will continue to be throughout her life, just as all the women in your family have been Phyllis. Thanks for this very beautiful piece.

Reply
Phyllis link
6/21/2015 08:56:36 am

Thank you, Sue! You've been here since Isabel was tiny - hard to believe she is the young woman on the brink of her quickly changing future. Glad you've been part of my village!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    RSS Feed

    2011
Proudly powered by Weebly