Day 10.2 of April PAD – More Poetry

***
My poetry
Reminds me of me
Thirty years ago with Daddy.

The poetry
we used to read to each other,
arguing, explaining…
in short – showing the love.

©2024, soulmary

Day 6 – A Lost Poem

You were the most lost
When we lost Dad,

And though there came so many moments
Of staggering and stumbling, and tears and regret
After which you wondered what’s to come
And has the worst already passed?

Yes, I can vouch – nothing before or after.
So far…
So far.

Thoughtful Thursday: Fathers Rock!

Today’s post is about … dads. I loved my dad, depended on him for everything in my young life, miss him a lot in my adult life, and I believe he deserves the honour of a post. My husband is a wonderful dad, so this post honours him also.

I collected some Fun Facts from here all of which seemed interesting to me.

“Approximately 52% of fathers say they are the primary grocery shoppers in the family, an increase of 10% from 1995. Additionally, 11% of moms research the products they buy compared to 24% of dads.”

Wow, I must admit, the “additional” fact surprised me. I’ve always thought mothers, and women in general, are more prone to research foods and nutrition. Is it the father-role that brings about this change in men? Or is my initial assumption wrong and twisted by the fact that men are usually quieter about their health habits?
The first fact – that fathers do the shopping more often than mothers, is true for both my families. My father was the primary shopper, and my husband is in the same role now. More patience for the supermarket queues, more physical power to carry heavy bags – just part of the advantages they have.

“A new study shows that fathers who share household chores with their wives tend to have more ambitious daughters as well as daughters with more broad definitions of gender roles.”

That definitely hits home with me. My dad took as much care of chores as my mom. They cooked together and did the dishes. That really taught me that women’s place is not in the kitchen. My father told me that a woman is not a cook, cleaner, washer and household utility. Whenever I visited a friend and saw fathers sitting in front of the TV, while mothers were cooking and serving food, I felt awkward. When I grew up to have boyfriends, I found out I hadn’t learned to behave in the “proper” way a girl should. I expected my boyfriend to share the chores with me.

“When fathers are involved in their child’s education, the children perform better in school, learn more, and exhibit healthier behavior.”

Hm, I don’t know. I was always very good at school and my father encouraged me in a meaningful way. On the other hand, my mother usually motivated me by threats and insults. Still, I don’t know if the statement above is true since my brother wasn’t very good at school. He is very intelligent, in fact, much smarter than me. Yet, school wasn’t his thing.

The world’s oldest “Father’s Day card” is a 4,000-year-old Babylonian tablet that a young boy named Elmesu carved to wish his father a long life and good health.

Well, this is just an interesting fact. I’m glad children thought lovingly of their fathers in those times, too.

We have to admit it: Fathers rock!

Elegy

April Poem-A-Day 16 – Elegy

elegy
Image by FractalEuphoria

I still look at photos
and see you cuddle a baby,
and you smile;
I see you hold a small girl’s insecure trusting hand
looking at her anxious face
with all that love
that now has turned to tears
swelling up my eyes,
to a lump blocking my voice,
hindering my breath,
a simple mindless ignorant lump,
wordless tears,
useless
endless
changeless.

©2014 soulmary

Emperor is Daddy

My good haiku friend, Kristjaan has been very persistent since last October when he first started the Carpe Diem meme. And I must say, I’m really glad he is doing it so well. I love to see so many poets sharing haiku on his prompts! After somewhat longish absence, here I come again. Oh, and by the way, he is holding a charming theme month, Tarot – especially dear to me, as I used to be so enthusiastic about Tarot in my late teenage. I still have the deck and the deciphering book, of course. Only, my hubby doesn’t encourage me to open either 😀 and I believe he is very right about insisting on that.

tarot_cards special logo Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem #189 – The Emperor (IV)

of one so lovely
and fearsome you remind me
my heart is with you.

© 2013, soul mary

Red Wine for Feb 14th

Here is my very own poetry prompt at the Wordsmith Studio site this week: click.

Don’t I love red wine? My father was a master wine-maker and vine-grower… Don’t I crave the memories of our vine-yard, that was home for so many happy days and nights of my childhood?

Warm wine
Warm wine

###

Red wine

to make me dizzy

stumbling over

my moments to share

where

I see the grains of black pepper

and hate them

for being black

for being round

for being spicy

 

(I prefer it ground)

 

Red wine

to make me remember

what I begged to forget

and stumble across

the headache I get.

 

© 2013, soul mary

Milk

*****

The thing I used to hate is milk

I don’t care for it anymore

I’m used to hating so much now

That it has all become indifferent.


© soulmary

Collection Poem

***Collections, Day 26, November Poem-A-Day Chapbook***

What I used to collect

were scraps and odds,

small things to remind me

of my loves

 

Now I see what I have

from you. It’s much.

Most of it

not material.

 

What I have just fades away

each and every single day

I fade away

or wish so, anyway.

© soulmary

The Truth About … Failure

Day 24 of the November Poem-A-Day Chapbook project – The truth about. I continue on my theme, poems of, about and for Dad.

***
Do you really want to know the truth about

My life without you?

Like a nightmare of lacks

of chances, belief, or hope

A series of

hysterical fits,

depression and euphoria.

Wishing the world would really end

before the end of December.

 

The truth about this nightmare

is my age, spent time and wear-out.

The truth about me involving you

is looking for excuses.

 

The truth about me is

I’m a failure.

© soul mary

Gathering to Let Go

Two for Tuesday again at the Poetic Asides November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge 🙂
1. Gathering, or
2. Letting go

Why not “Gathering to Let Go”? My theme continued, here is my offering:

Gathering to blur. Let go!
Image credit: Rebecca Barray

 ***

Clouds gathering above my head

Just as they do in cartoon films

Pouring rain then

Showering me off my musing

 

I guess that gathering

Just helps me

Let you go

 

We have to

Let go

To be allowed to

Come back.

 © 2012 soulmary