Monday, September 21, 2009











A sister hen,
I snatched you
from playground bullies
and hard rain.

We touched tongues,
told lies,
shared gum
and tackled pain.

Fear that flashed
in your eyes,
when you swam
in water over your head,

has passed
now that you are grown
and the cold years
between us have melted

down, like dilly bars
dripped from
your chin.



Willow, 2009

Happy Birthday, Sis.
I love you.
at
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57 comments:

  1. MikeSun Sep 20, 10:27:00 PM

    BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Vicki LaneSun Sep 20, 10:30:00 PM

    Lovely poem, Willow!

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  3. stevenSun Sep 20, 10:38:00 PM

    it gets no sweeter than this willow!!!! beautiful!!! steven

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  4. rxBambiSun Sep 20, 10:41:00 PM

    What a wonderful tribute to your sister! Why don't you tell my sister to write something for me??
    Also, I like the strawberry dilly bars. I'm just sayin...

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  5. Betsy BrockSun Sep 20, 10:45:00 PM

    This is the best present ever..a Willow poem written just for me! Thanks!

    And thanks for saving my life...on several occassions. :)

    xo

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  6. Tess KincaidSun Sep 20, 10:49:00 PM

    I can think of one particular occasion when you saved my life, as well. Just think, we're both alive today because we have each other! ~x

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  7. An Open HeartSun Sep 20, 10:52:00 PM

    Beautiful....what a lovely gift....

    ♥
    S

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  8. Brian MillerSun Sep 20, 11:03:00 PM

    beautiful verse willow.

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  9. donna bakerSun Sep 20, 11:09:00 PM

    I love that Willow.

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  10. GSun Sep 20, 11:09:00 PM

    Beautiful poem Willow. You and your sister are both so lovely and blessed to have each other!

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  11. A Brush with ColorSun Sep 20, 11:18:00 PM

    Lovely, Willow--very touching. Happy birthday to your sister!!

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  12. C.M. JacksonMon Sep 21, 12:14:00 AM

    how sweet...dilly bars ...sisters finding and loving one another--precious-c

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  13. steviewrenMon Sep 21, 12:28:00 AM

    "like dilly bars dripped from your chin..." Love that picture of childish arguments and grudges melting away.

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  14. vicki archerMon Sep 21, 02:39:00 AM

    A big month for birthdays at the Manor Willow. HB to your sis, xv.

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  15. ElizabethMon Sep 21, 02:50:00 AM

    I love this. It so perfectly portrays sisterhood. I hadn't thought about it in years, but my sister and I used to "touch tongues," too! And that made me laugh...

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  16. A Cuban In LondonMon Sep 21, 04:20:00 AM

    And happy birthday from here, too! And beautiful new header. And magnificent poem. What else can one ask for?

    Manyt hanks

    Greetings from London.

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  17. Josephine Tale PeddlerMon Sep 21, 04:28:00 AM

    Aha! So Betsy is your sister! Happy Birthday Betsy. Willow, I sure wish you were my sister to write such poems to me. Can you adopt me please and I will come to live in the manor? xx

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  18. joannaMon Sep 21, 04:32:00 AM

    Willow

    You have a wonderful gift with words-love your poem -- it brought tears to my eyes and memories of days past of my own. . .

    ditto - Happy Birthday to your sister, a blessing to have each other.

    Joanny

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  19. DelwynMon Sep 21, 05:14:00 AM

    Lovely sentiments and beautiful words for Betsy, Willow

    Happy days

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  20. Alan BurnettMon Sep 21, 05:20:00 AM

    All I can do is to echo what everyone says. A beautiful little poem.

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  21. tonyMon Sep 21, 06:42:00 AM

    Happy Birthday Betsy!

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  22. MahalaMon Sep 21, 06:59:00 AM

    How special it must be to have a birthday poem written just for you. Happy birthday Betsy!

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  23. I_am_TulsaMon Sep 21, 08:11:00 AM

    oh, happy b-day to your sister. You are both so blessed!

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  24. PhilipHMon Sep 21, 08:36:00 AM

    That's a lovely Happy Birthday poem - and I've just read some of your recent posts; wish I'd stumbled into here earlier.

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  25. karenMon Sep 21, 08:51:00 AM

    I have just one sister, no brothers, and this just says it all! lovely x

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  26. French Fancy...Mon Sep 21, 09:23:00 AM

    Lovely, willow. I'm just beginning my next OU course which is Creative Writing and the third section is poetry. I'll have to come to you for some tips.

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  27. Lisa UrsuMon Sep 21, 09:26:00 AM

    I haven't had a Dilly bar in years.
    Beautiful poem Willow.

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  28. Jill from Killeny GlenMon Sep 21, 09:28:00 AM

    WHAT A TRUE BLESSING TO HAVE A SISTER!!!

    I think your sis is super cool too!!
    Off to wish her Happy Birthday!

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  29. Reya MellickerMon Sep 21, 09:42:00 AM

    Beautiful. Damn you are SO talented!

    Love the new blog colors. Nice and soft and easier to read.

    Happy autumn, Willow!!

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  30. AnonymousMon Sep 21, 09:59:00 AM

    very touching willow. made me call my sister! have a blessed week.

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  31. AnonymousMon Sep 21, 10:14:00 AM

    Happy Birthday indeed. Nice post.

    Yes, we got Pat's computer back to its original condition but in the process she lost everything on it. So thank goodness for backups.

    Thank you very much for visiting Pick a Peck of Pixels and for the comment you left me there. Now I want to invite you to stop and look at my Canon camera photographs. They are some of the best I can or have taken. My Canon Blog

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  32. Janelle GoodwinMon Sep 21, 10:30:00 AM

    What a lovely, sweet poem. It brought tears to my eyes. Happy Birthday to Betsy!

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  33. DarylMon Sep 21, 10:54:00 AM

    How very sweet .. happy birthday to willow sis!

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  34. AnonymousMon Sep 21, 10:59:00 AM

    "and the cold years between us have melted."( misty eyed here ). Awesome homage to your sis, Willow. You both rock!

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  35. The BugMon Sep 21, 11:04:00 AM

    Nice! I'm always so sarcastic - I'll have to work on nice...

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  36. studioJudithMon Sep 21, 11:15:00 AM

    So very dear.
    A touching tribute, indeed.

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  37. NanUMon Sep 21, 11:16:00 AM

    excellent!!

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  38. TotalfeckineejitMon Sep 21, 11:22:00 AM

    Wellyou took a lot of persuading, but it was well worth the wait.A touchingly beautiful portrait of sibling love, Willow, I love it.Hard to isolate the best bits but, what a great start....

    ...A sister hen,
    I snatched you
    from playground bullies
    and hard rain.
    We touched tongues,
    told lies,
    shared gum
    and tackled pain.

    Thanks for joining in.

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  39. YoliMon Sep 21, 11:45:00 AM

    Oh Willow you have melted my heart with this poem. Happy Birthday to your Sis!

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  40. Blue Sky DreamingMon Sep 21, 12:06:00 PM

    Lovely...a sister all these years and more years ahead. Such sweet memories! Happy Birthday Betsy!

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  41. LynMon Sep 21, 12:11:00 PM

    Lucky to have each other..a sister like you who writes birthday poems..super!

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  42. BarryMon Sep 21, 12:32:00 PM

    As others have said, this is a beautiful, and touching poem, Willow.

    Makes me glad you had a sister to save.

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  43. BeeMon Sep 21, 01:04:00 PM

    I'm glad the "cold years" have melted away, instead of the reverse. So precious to have a sister!

    Beautiful images in the simple words and rhyme scheme of this poem.

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  44. Dr. Jeanne IrisMon Sep 21, 01:13:00 PM

    Dilly Bars!!! A weekly trip to the Dairy Queen in 'Hotlanta' included slurping those dilly bars with my sister. Thank you for the memory, Willow! Lovely poem!

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  45. UnknownMon Sep 21, 01:34:00 PM

    Hello Willow,

    A sisterly embrace in words. Lovely sentiments. And I wish I knew what dilly bars are!

    Shame about the photo failures.

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  46. Tess KincaidMon Sep 21, 02:02:00 PM

    Derrick, dilly bars are round, frozen, bars of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate...on a stick!

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  47. NancyMon Sep 21, 02:53:00 PM

    What an amazing tribute to your sis!

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  48. TitusMon Sep 21, 03:07:00 PM

    If you elect yourself in the Challenge, you're in the challenge as far as I'm concerned! Liked this very much, deft and spare in the depiction of sibling love. Cool, Willow.

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  49. alaine@éclectiqueMon Sep 21, 04:44:00 PM

    Very touching, Willow. I'm glad you made up!

    Happy Birthday Betsy!

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  50. Ladybird World MotherMon Sep 21, 04:53:00 PM

    Just lovely. thanks for sharing it with all of us. xxxx

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  51. The GrandpaMon Sep 21, 05:51:00 PM

    Great poem, Willow, and a wonderful way to celebrate your sister's birthday.

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  52. Country GirlMon Sep 21, 06:35:00 PM

    Fantastic poem.

    You had me at dilly bars.

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  53. simonMon Sep 21, 06:53:00 PM

    very very cool!

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  54. Ambiance in the AtticMon Sep 21, 09:23:00 PM

    I have 3 wonderful sisters. This poem was beautiful and made me cry...happy tears because I love them!

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  55. Catherine NolinTue Sep 22, 06:46:00 AM

    Willow,
    I actually found your sis because of our common autism connection. I didn't realize until much later that you were sisters. I have five sisters and I could so relate to your poem. thank you.

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  56. MichaelWed Sep 23, 01:01:00 AM

    I liked the cold melting bit the best. What lovely tribute. It sounds like you two really worked to forge the sisterhood bond you enjoy now. Bravo.

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  57. Tess KincaidWed Sep 23, 06:34:00 AM

    Catherine, five sisters? You are EXtra blessed!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)

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