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We left Mom behind every Sunday morning
because she was a Protestant, and anyway,
she had morning dishes to attend
while we sat slouched on hard pews
as Dad hummed Catholic hymns off-key.
Sometimes sister and I dug our fingernails
into the back of the wooden pew as we knelt,
carved our initials (sometimes a boy's),
often feigned dyer need to use the restroom
before the Nicene Creed,
and almost always played "elbows" as we sat
straight-backed, trying to dislodge the other.
If Dad noticed, we'd find out after church,
car-bound, as he enjoyed newspaper, coffee,
and a few donuts, as we sat contritely,
Donut Shop's glass window
cause for our contrition.
Margaret Bednar, February 1, 2019
This is for "Imaginary Garden of Real Toad's "Kerry Says - Instructions for Living a Life - A Tribute to Poets of Our Time". I selected Julia Alvarez. I own a book "Cries of the Spirit" (1991) where a number of poets (Mary Oliver is one of them) are collected together - many have passed on, but not all. One of the poets in this book is Julia Alvarez. I adore Julia Alvarez and have ordered her book "Homecoming".
I think she has a very down-to-earth voice and focuses on things that are familiar to us all - family settings... I tried my best to pick up on her theme a bit (I wouldn't be as bold to say her style).
Below are four of her poems:
Ironing Their Clothes HERE
On Sundays HERE
Hairbands HERE
By Accident HERE
Homecoming = published 1996 - A reisusuing of a 1984 book now out of print
The Woman I Kept to Myself - published in 2004
In the Time of the Butterflies - her novel made into a major motion picture.
Julia Alvarez - Backstage at Pen & Podium:
