Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Praying seven (x 7)




i didn't think of myself
-not in the beginning-
until he commended me -
chaste daughter, kind tempered, patient
virtues that he valued
as silky pearls, layer upon layer
-seven times seven-
shimmering under summer sky

the affirmation is I am
-an ending-
by what I have sacrificed 
laboriously, under repeated threshing
 -seven times seven-
my vanity, anger, greed, envy, sins
my life for his
until my caring hands wrinkled
husking the grains
and my voice became hoarse

following his
reciting the prayers
for the dying





Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - 7 times 7, hosted by Amaya.  We are to write about seven virtues and seven deadly sins.  Please note that this poem is not about myself; just my reflections about gaining virtues.  



13 comments:

  1. Your poem is very personal,Grace, even though you have said it is not about you, but personal to a reader especially the lines:
    'chaste daughter, kind tempered, patient
    virtues that he valued
    as silky pearls, layer upon layer'
    and I like the repetition of 'seven times seven'. I also like the way you have contrasted the virtues in separate stanzas.
    You brought a tear to my eye with the lines:
    'until my caring hands wrinkled
    husking the grains
    and my voice became hoarse'.

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  2. I love the alluding to x7, which could also be interpreted as 70 x 7 in forgiveness. A beautiful tribute to your father and coming full circle in the end.

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  3. Your last five lines exemplify an endurance and love that few will know in a lifetime. A saintly compassion. Beautiful poem, Grace.

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  4. A powerful poetic, both tribute and lesson, memory and metaphor. Some incredible lines--the last stanza is killer.

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  5. Nice last stanza about the prayers for the dying.

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  6. Death can sure brings things back around, not always for the better.

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  7. Your last stanza is amazing!

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  8. I love this portion 'by what I have sacrificed
    laboriously, under repeated threshing'. It creates a really vivid image of trial and hardship. It's worded perfectly.

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  9. “...my caring hands wrinkled
    husking the grains....”

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  10. A beautiful poem, and yet, sad for me, in memory.

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  11. So Many ways to Die in Life
    So Many ways to Suffer in Misery
    And So Many Ways to be Happy
    As Long
    As Passions
    And Love and
    Yes Rationality
    are not
    closed
    off in School/Work/Church/Home Lockers
    NeVeR EVeN LiVinG aT aLL Free TeMplE LoViNG WiLD.

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  12. I love how many ways this can be interpreted.

    One person's virtue can be another's lack of agency. I read the speaker's words and see a road regrettably left untravelled.

    Thought provoking work.

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