»
Archives
»
Open Poetry #42
»
On Family - for a niece
| Open Poetry #42 |
|
On Family - for a niece |
|
|
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart 
|
On Family I was in the need to begin the search backwards ~ ask your grandmother came the sound advice. When the next visit came, her response was, you don’t want to go up that tree, darlin’, no telling how many pirates and rapscallions you’ll find ~ and I wondered [was I born naïve, or did everyone intend to keep me an innocent?] It seemed my father’s family had all of these grand uncles…and aunts…millions of them to the mind of a young one… and my mother’s line stopped…there…. with her, and my grandfather, who had died when I was sick with measles. The family tree had been lopped, and sided heavily on daddy’s side, but only as far as his dear mother, as well. They shooed me off to childhood, for my mind had been bound toward maturity, and I grumbled to be old. It wasn’t until she found them and bits of the story started to come forth as she explained she had brothers – they had all been separated, you see, long before those dirty 30’s, after living in Missouri and Oklahoma when aunts and uncles had taken in, slowly, separately, three orphans, after their [horrors!] show-business mother and father had been killed in a tragic automobile accident. She still remembered the way those words, show folk, was thrown off related tongues like the dirt that later swirled in great whirling clouds. The news of it all was so great, there were no more questions and no pictures of yester days, just current ones, of marvelous faces and wrinkled memories and Polaroid shots of bloodlines that hearkened back to much harder times. I still wonder of the pirates and rapscallions she spoke of – but history’s pages had been ground down in rutted roads, it seems, along the way to California… and she admitted she never read Steinbeck… because she already knew the punched lines. ~*~ In memory of ‘Beth 02-06-12 – 11-25-04 |
||
| © Copyright 2008 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
Oklahoma Rose Senior Member
since 2008-02-28
Posts 1586Oklahoma USA |
Awwww Karilea, this is so sad. |
||
|
Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Sissie....there is nothing as wonderful, while reading something wonderful, than a great ending!  |
||
|
Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
This genre fits you so well, dear Karilea. Beautifully rendered memories! I never tire to read you. The second book? Love, Margherita |
||
|
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Margherita...it's coming along, dear...slowly, but surely...  and thank you! |
||
|
graeshine2006 Member
since 2008-06-03
Posts 368The Prairie Lands, USA |
Thank you Aunt Karilea. I am so glad we found each other again. It's all in the timing and I leave that up to God! As for "On Family" - you paint a picture that I want, not exactly to be a part of, but be witness to at least so I can reach out to the characters. |
||
|
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Deb... You would've loved my maternal grandmother.... a lot! In fact, you met her, once, but you were such a little thing... |
||
|
Marchmadness Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 9271So. El Monte, California |
Missouri and Oklahoma, sounds kind of like my family. My Mom and Dad talked so much about the depression and World War II etc. That I felt like I had been there. Love the ending and the reference to Steinbeck. Ida |
||
|
OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Karilea, much enjoyed your sharing the intimacy of your thoughts and your family. Pained by the hurts, sorrow and gaps you experienced. Deb/Graeshine, have you any idea of how much your aunt and her poetry is loved and revered in this, Pip, her second home? Welcome to Pip. - Owl |
||
|
Ray Sharpe Member
since 2008-05-29
Posts 112Tenerife |
wonderful insight into your family....thank you It bought forth a little tear but overall it is a warm and heartening piece |
||
|
bel1e Senior Member
since 2006-07-24
Posts 1631 |
What an endearing tribute, Sunshine~~~ ~so good to read from your your prolific pen~~~ ~hugs |
||
|
graeshine2006 Member
since 2008-06-03
Posts 368The Prairie Lands, USA |
Owl - I'm starting to get that idea! AK -(Aunt Karilea is getting soo long!  ) As I said about timing, maybe it was time to delete myspace for a while and focus on other things! |
||
|
Gentle Spirit Member Patricius
since 2000-10-09
Posts 13989 |
MommaK, this is so beautiful.. this is so YOU.  |
||
|
Robert Frazier Senior Member
since 2003-02-06
Posts 1014 |
Karilea, What a beautiful handling of a look back on the family tree...with all it relative sensitivities :-) Hugs, Robert |
||
|
Corinne Member Ascendant
since 1999-10-28
Posts 5167state of confusion |
I was reminded of the Grapes of Wrath while reading this -- indeed, you captured this well and made it personal with your dedication. Hope all is well with you my friend. I've missed this place. Forgot how friendly it is here. Corinne |
||
|
Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
Most trees have beautiful leaves.. Some have bunches of nuts. Remember..it's the nuts that make the tree worth shaking. Love your reference to show folk. Love ya lady~ |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
