***
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
Sweet and Bitter Stuff of Wonder
Brought to you by Mary K
***
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
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.
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!
April Poem-A-Day 16 – Elegy
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
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.
Carpe Diem #189 – The Emperor (IV)
of one so lovely
and fearsome you remind me
my heart is with you.
© 2013, soul mary
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?
###
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
*****
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
***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
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
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:
***
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