It’s a lovely tribute, Sheila, to both women, or to all.
Also, as Millicent says, a kind of parable, but touched by the deeply personal, in the women seeing & being beautiful now, & then. Th repetitions underlie the repeats of a life lived & still living, in then of remembering & still being here.
Doug
> On Jan 28, 2020, at 10:01 AM, Sheila Murphy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> So grateful for your lovely reading of this, Millicent. It is warming and
> clear. Hope this helps, Bill.
>
> Sheila
>
> On Tue, Jan 28, 2020 at 1:46 AM Millicent Borges Accardi <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Bill
>> It moved me in a way that a parable does-- of how life is precious and
>> should be valued. The story of someone who values life and someone who
>> recognizes inner beauty instead of casting off people (as this society
>> often does). At this pale time meant to me when life is dimming and
>> fragile-- and I can see the gratitude and the kindness in this poem so very
>> clearly and i think it is done in such a gentle way, an important story
>> told in a subtle way-- I like the repetition of the term beautiful in that
>> it is not meant in a cosmetic beautiful way but an inner soul way and how
>> life is often about outer looks (hence make up and keeping up
>> appearances)-- it is a quiet poem and displays gratitude. In a uniquely
>> female way, women, surrounded by women: young (daughters), middle life
>> (caregiver) and old age (the woman being looked after).
>> Millicent
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: POETRYETC <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Tue, Jan 28, 2020 12:29 am
>> Subject: Re: Snap: Gratitude
>>
>> I see this now, Sheila, but the poem still largely slides by me at present.
>> Must be missing something. ‘Several’ throws me early on. If the daughters
>> are ‘beloved’, why might they be referred to so apparently indifferently?
>> ‘Beautiful’ seems to be the hinge word but I’m unsure what it opens. I like
>> ‘this pale time’ in the end but I am unable to share your enthusiasm,
>> Millicent and would be interested to hear what moves you so.
>>
>> Bill
>>
>> On Tue, 28 Jan 2020 at 5:26 pm, Sheila Murphy <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Two different women, Bill.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 11:15 PM Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Some odd tense change going on here to these eyes, Sheila. Are the
>>>> beautiful woman and the (till recently, listless) working woman one and
>>> the
>>>> same perhaps? No, the gratitude wouldn’t really work then, would it.
>> Will
>>>> re-read later.
>>>>
>>>> Bill
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, 28 Jan 2020 at 4:35 pm, Sheila Murphy <[log in to unmask]
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> She told her
>>>>> several beloved daughters,
>>>>> "I work now for a beautiful woman;
>>>>> I have worked for many people
>>>>> for so many years.
>>>>> They were not beautiful.
>>>>> None of them was beautiful.
>>>>> And now I work for this beautiful woman."
>>>>>
>>>>> And the woman, the beautiful woman,
>>>>> does not remember having energy.
>>>>> to bathe and put on make up and her clothes.
>>>>> But each day she bathes and puts on make up and her clothes,
>>>>> and moves toward the little table
>>>>> where the bowl of food and tea are,
>>>>> and resumes her life.
>>>>> This quiet life.
>>>>> This pure routine.
>>>>> This going on.
>>>>>
>>>>> This beautiful lady who forgot
>>>>> That she is beautiful.
>>>>> lifts her shining eyes and smiles
>>>>> that anyone would speak so
>>>>> kindly of her, to her,
>>>>> at this pale time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sheila E. Murphy
>>>>>
Douglas Barbour
[log in to unmask]
https://eclecticruckus.wordpress.com/
Recent publications: (With Sheila E Murphy) Continuations & Continuations 2 (UofAPress).
Recording Dates (Rubicon Press).
Listen. If (UofAPress):
Done in by creation itself.
I mean the gods. Not us. Well us too.
The gods moved into books. Who wrote the books?
We wrote the books. In whose dream, then are we dreaming?
Robert Kroetsch
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