the sweet rhymes my mother sang to me
long gone
coat my tongue
~
I must have been soft clay as a child
~
It’s a comfort since
in the long and long
I have learned
that it’s in the telling
and then the listening
that memories become songs
that live on
in the living
~
here they are
singing in my bones
every morning
these songs
~
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photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/39106736@N04/4225760662/”>atelier de betty</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a>
Poetry of Light 
Excellent work. This is beautiful and rich. The poem itself is melodic.
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Thank you Zen..it started out as something quite different and then the “L’s” carried it away! And now it brings memories of “You are my sunshine” and “Que sera sera” … little morning ghosts of song.
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Such a lovely, gentle song to awaken to this morning, as the welcome sun streams onto your wistful words, melting into their warmth. Especially love the image and sweet sound of singing bones. Still soft clay. Xoxo
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I wonder, ST, I have some old ones taking their exit and it has sparked contemplation. It reminds me of the radical windows opened while experimenting with mind altering drugs, youthful attempts to see through consensus reality. I have a similar desire to imagine my way to this passage… with freedom. Well..here’s to singing bones and soft clay!
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Just brilliant J.H ! 🙂 love this poem so much 🙂
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So glad this touched something Nigel…!
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today
for the first time
my daughter planted seeds with me
~
my fingers
muscle memories
my mother digging holes
our little hands
dropping futures
blowing kisses
covering our secrets
~
waiting
with watchful eyes
for tomorrow
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I think your animus just embraced you here….and water is smiling
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sprinkling small kisses
with wide smiles
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Just beautiful.
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I’m glad you liked this Michele. Thank you…
Now that I’m singing songs to my grand daughter, I’m wondering about some of the lyrics. Rock a by Baby? a bit harsh for a lullaby
Although…as a child it was the experience itself I remember most, being with my mother, and the rhyming and rhythm… but perhaps it’s time to re invent some of the classics !
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This is beautiful, I love the line – being soft clay as a child – thank you
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yes, yes!…a “practice” now of being both resilient as wet clay and open as a vessel. Thank you Teri…
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Simple words- so lovely and the chair picture compliments it well
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Thank you Wise Journey… a chair for rocking a child or a chair for rocking old bones!
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Today…old bones would be it for me I think 🙂 I like that
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Beautiful ❤
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lovely!
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Thank you Virgilio….I’m glad you found something here!
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This is very, very lovely. I find that this poem not only makes sense to me on a physical level, but that I can feel the connection between my body and the formation of memory which comes from listening to those whom we love. This is a terrific poem, J.H. I would like to share it with others.
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Thank you Jeremy…so many memories vie for our attention, vibrating in the cells of our being, creating who we perceive ourselves to be. I’m very happy you found your own “memory” in this sweet one.
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Reblogged this on The Sand County and commented:
I feel compelled to share this.
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I like this sense of connection and “singing in my bones”. Thanks for the soul lift.
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Sure Alice…! just humming along…
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Your poems, they seduce and comfort in a glance, wicked little things. I enjoyed reading this.
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