April is National Poetry Month. Every year, my dear friend (and poet Extraordinaire), Mary Lee Hahn chooses a theme, and writes a poem each day. Mary Lee blogs and posts her poems at two different places- YEAR OF READING and a fabulous new poetry blog POETREPOSITORY.
This year, Mary Lee has chosen the theme, "PO-EMotions." She promises, "This year, I will write a poem a day that either evokes an emotion, or uses an emotion word in the title or body of the poem." Her list of emotions is here. I'm joining her, at least some days.
"Hate"
Five or six---
Red-faced and furious--
"I hate you!" I scream.
"I hate you!"
I run to bedroom
throw myself across the bed-
my black shoes
making ugly marks
on white bedspread
my black shoes
making ugly marks
on white bedspread
my grandmother rubs my back.
"Hate is an ugly word,"
she says, "Never use the word hate
she says, "Never use the word hate
to talk about people."
Fifty years later
I repeat this mantra.
I repeat this mantra.
"Hate is an ugly word,"
I say to my boys.
"Never use the word hate
I say to my boys.
"Never use the word hate
to talk about people."
And then my sons,
the people I love
most in the world,
scream across the room,
And then my sons,
the people I love
most in the world,
scream across the room,
"I hate you, I hate you."
And I am surprised
at how freely
that ugly word
that ugly word
rolls off their tongues
and how much it hurts.
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2015
and how much it hurts.
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2015
4 comments:
I just shared my poem at Mary Lee's site, & although I didn't give the detail, the 'learning' is the same. You'll see, Carol. I remember that lesson too. And hearing the word does hurt no matter the saying "sticks and stones. . ." I like the way your tell stories with your poems, so powerful!
A word that hurts deep into our soul. While your poem makes my heart hurt and has me wishing all will work out in the end, I thought it worked so well as you took us through time and wrapped your story around this strong word.
Cathy
This takes my breath away. Words change everything.
I can remember being on both ends of the word--screaming it as a child and hearing it as a mom. It is a word that hurts deeply on both sides.
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