Dear Eliza, I love how you wove this together. When she heard my voice, Mimi remembered what she gave me. A lucky opening. Love to you and Kim. Verandah
"I want our visit to amount to more than watching my mother wash out to sea."
I found this so moving, Eliza. The significance of clearing the table. Always such a source of anxiety in my own childhood home right through my life. I felt like every time we cleared it, the tide just came back in.
Also, the connecting through poetry and the theme of the poem.
A week before my mum died, she was in a nursing home and her memory was failing, but while I held her hand she spoke, word perfect, several stanzas of Horatius at the Bridge, a poem she'd learned off by heart when at school.
And the poem you chose to read to her, about the undertow, reminded me of almost losing my dad when, frail and elderly, he thought he could still swim with us at the beach, but couldn't. He got caught in the riptide and sucked under. I had to pull him from the water, with my toddler son tucked under my left arm, wearing his rubber ring, and my right arm under my dad's arms, to haul him out. My mum was at the water's edge, taking a photo, oblivious to the danger we'd been in.
Dear Eliza, I love how you wove this together. When she heard my voice, Mimi remembered what she gave me. A lucky opening. Love to you and Kim. Verandah
Love to you
"I want our visit to amount to more than watching my mother wash out to sea."
I found this so moving, Eliza. The significance of clearing the table. Always such a source of anxiety in my own childhood home right through my life. I felt like every time we cleared it, the tide just came back in.
Also, the connecting through poetry and the theme of the poem.
A week before my mum died, she was in a nursing home and her memory was failing, but while I held her hand she spoke, word perfect, several stanzas of Horatius at the Bridge, a poem she'd learned off by heart when at school.
And the poem you chose to read to her, about the undertow, reminded me of almost losing my dad when, frail and elderly, he thought he could still swim with us at the beach, but couldn't. He got caught in the riptide and sucked under. I had to pull him from the water, with my toddler son tucked under my left arm, wearing his rubber ring, and my right arm under my dad's arms, to haul him out. My mum was at the water's edge, taking a photo, oblivious to the danger we'd been in.
Those are powerful images. Verandah truly put her finger on frailty meets time and grief with Undertow. Thank you for sharing these reflections
What a poem! I wasn't familiar with Verandah Porsche, but will look her up. Wonderful to hear her read Undertow. Thank you for including the link.
I love that recording, too
I love Verandah - the woman and her words. Thank you for sharing.
Loved this and listening to to recording-
Another beautiful chapter Eliza! So many daughters will relate!
Marge
Thank you for writing a lot about your Mom. I am getting know her better!!!! I wish I found you much early before she got seek ...