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"Kells" daily poetry prompt for today is to write a poem to our favorite letter of the alphabet. I selected "S". I have very little time to ponder this promt as we have a guest AND it is my oldest son's high school prom and we are excited to go visit him at school and take photographs! The following "poem" is VERY free-form!
A Legacy
“Sally sells seashells by the seashore
She sells seashells on the seashell shore”
Olive and Lulu, born in 1882 and 1887.
As a youngster I couldn’t get enough
of their master storytelling and
tongue twisters. At their feet I sat, listening;
“The seashells she sells are seashore shells,
Of that I’m sure.”
laughing and enjoying their frivolity.
Innocent fun, two uniquely educated
woman, inspiring a generation to live
life to it’s fullest. To embrace the mind.
“She sells seashells by the seashore.”
A fascinating mixture of ladylike manners
and snappy, intensely focussed minds.
Worlds of imagination lurked behind
Lulu’s laughing eyes and dancing voice.
She hopes she will sell all her seashells soon.
Olive a bit more demure, laughter a bit softer
was not outshone by any means.
Sweetly she matched her younger sister’s wit;
both master storytellers, they.
If neither he sells seashells
Nor she sells seashells
Life cloaked them with eternal youth
as their legacy is one of uplifting hearts.
To this day when I hear “Sally’s Seashore”
tongue-twister of letter “S”,
Who shall sell seashells
Shall seashells be sold?
Olive Ruth & Lulu Belle Beckington live on.
by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens, 4-9-11
* * * * *
These two woman never married and devoted their lives to education and teaching. They bought a house and lived together, teaching in the state of Oklahoma. (If a woman got married "back in the day", they had to give up their career.) They were my grandfather's cousins. As I recall, the tongue twisters were NO problem for them!
8 comments:
I really like the way you've responded to the prompt. I get a real sense of the two maiden ladies -- lovely.
Hi Margaret,
Dropping in from Here Under the Rainbow on my way to visit Bonnie at the Original Art Studio.
I love this poem. When my sisters and I were kids, we would compete to see who would be first to get it right without tripping on our tongues.
Hope to drop in again soon.
that's really sweet! i just wanted to sit on the porch steps with these two ladies in their chairs and listen to their stories and tongue-twisters...
Really lovely poem !!
Totally love it, you are amazing as always.!
What a lovely reminder of two very special ladies. You are lucky to have them in your ancestry and perhaps you even use as an example.
How sweet! What greatness in your family tree? Love it.
Everyone, thank you so much! These two women were really special and I have never met anyone like them. I was so young and remember laughing - the whole room vibrated with fun. And yes, Friko, I do try to remember people like these that chose joy to celebrate life.
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