Sunday 6 April 2014

The Present Of The Past








That green, green caravan.
Chipped paint and the smell 
of burning sausages.
A carpet of wild grasses and flowers 
spread before me, more majestic than
any red velvet line.
How I love this place.
The placid horses in the adjoining 
field watching in bemusement
as I place my spindly eight year old foot
onto Titania's carpet
and throw myself in the air.
The fauvist ballerina, all arched 
hands and pirouetting limbs,
flying into the sky
and then rolling into the earth,
grasping fistfuls of grass as if
readying myself to consume the
world.
A haze of Beethoven's 
Pastoral Symphony in my
ears, my eyes, my mouth. I can taste
its mellow honey.
My mother claps her hands
 in smiles, beautiful tanned gypsy
woman icon in cheesecloth red.
Perhaps one day, if I laugh enough, 
I will be that woman.
Now is all preparation.
I am singing as I dance,
I am embracing the air as a trainee lover
and it plays waywardly with my 
dark curls, blowing them up high
above my head so that I grow a tall crown of hair.
Queen of the flowers.
I feel beautiful. The boys join in,
moving their bodies like mad 
little warriors fighting against 
an unseen force.
This is my freedom. Great blasts
of joy lift me out of
my insignificance and carry me on the wind,
heady summer carriage of hope.
The bonfire my father builds burns holes into the dusk.


Happiness poem written by me (and published in a national anthology) in 1999.












The Outfit
Vintage 1970s Maxi Dress: bought and worn by my Mum when pregnant with my younger brother


The Soundtrack
Van Morrison: Astral Weeks


Photos taken by me last month using my little digital camera at 26 weeks pregnant 



17 comments:

  1. Emalina!! Look at you, you radiant, gorgeous, expecting twins, you! Big hugs to you! Love and hugs and kisses and wishing you all the happiness in the world. I have been away from blogging a bit too. Obviously. LOL. xo Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoyed your poem and the beautiful scenery in the photos. Thank you for sharing them! That dress is stunning and I am practically drooling.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a beautiful dress, the rich jewel colours are stunning. And you are blooming, my dear! Hope,you are feeling well. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. How lucky you are that your mother is such a hoarder of beautiful dresses. Looking wonderful. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow what a garden of words.
    I am so touched by poetry and this is something I like in poetry. It's story with music in the sound and the shape of your words without having rhymes obligatory.
    Well done, bravo.
    This dress and these pictures are to me the exact resemblance with how you describe that woman, your mom. Beautiful !
    Xxx
    Lorna

    Cheers from Paris,
    Http://lornasharp.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. You look radiant and blooming. Hope everything is well xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are looking fantastic! this dress is perfect for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful dress, beautiful you, and how lovely that you are wearing a dress your Mother wore. Hope you are feeling well. Xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Breathtakingly beautiful … words and pictures!

    xoxo
    Tamera

    ReplyDelete
  10. So glorious to see you in another family dress, the significant moments across generations marked by the movement of fabric around your gorgeously beautiful, pregnant shape.

    ReplyDelete
  11. To keep family dresses is such awonderful idea. I love clothes with history.
    I thought you had already had the babies, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
    I so want to see their little faces.I bet you can´t hardly wait.
    Love and sunshine ALWAYS, my beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gorgeous poem, gorgeous dress, gorgeous sunlight, gorgeous daffodils, gorgeous belly and gorgeous you. All round beautiful post and so lovely to see that you're wearing another family maternity dress. How wonderful would it be if someday that dress is passed on to a daughter or granddaughter of yours to wear when pregnant.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You couldn't look more beautiful in the field of daffodils. Your poem displays one of your many talents. So wonderful to follow you during this special time in your life.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an enchantingly sweet and beautiful series of photos. Cliche though it may sound, you really do seem to be radiating with joy in all of them.

    Big hugs & many thanks for your lovely comment on yesterday's post,
    ♥ Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thinking of you Emalina! It's always lovely reading your poetic posts, and this, one of your own, is especially magical! Perfect for this chapter in your life!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh you are a vision of loveliness! What a wonderful dress.

    I just discovered your blog and my am I happy too, I'm going to follow you now.

    Lally

    lallymacbeth.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Please leave a message, I love to hear from you!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...