a poem for Ash Wednesday--written for the Defining Poetry contest |
Sweet Freebie In my uniform pocket I finger the Mardi Gras beads like a rosary, these leftovers of yesterday's celebration at the nursing home. Ruth Ann remembered gloves, a new dress, a corsage. Perry recalled chocolate eggs, Lourena recited "The Lord's Prayer." The handsome young priest smears ash on my forehead unaware I am unconfessed not Catholic. I carry home the beads, the ash, sweet freebies and grace. I am as always pressed for time for the week's entry. The poet I've chosen for my weekly inspiration is William Carlos Williams. How he found time to be a physician and a poet is beyond me. There is not one particular line that resonated with me in this week's selection of three poems. Rather, it is his pristine economy of words and description. In "Red Wheelbarrow" and "This is Just to Say"---he evokes vivid pictures and emotions with the briefest of lines. I'm not certain I've quite succeeded. I do work in an assisted living facility and as I wrote "Today is Mardi Gras" under the day's activities for my dementia unit while resident's were having breakfast a torrent of Lenten memories/Easter memories was sparked in my residents. Grace is a sweet freebie. Written for:
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