Thursday, May 20, 2010

tokens





He slips a gift box
from his pocket.
Remember these?
Under the cotton
is a string of metal fish;
I haven’t forgotten.

I’m casting over the dock
of a chair with paperclip
and pencil pole,
fishing for tokens
from Sunday School.

Sallman’s dishy sailor
in a red T-shirt,
with a big see-through Jesus
in a broken ship, points
in the direction of everlastingness,

till his bouncers show up
and throw me out,
for a full baptism in the street.
This time there's no coin
in the fish’s mouth.




willow, 2010




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59 comments:

  1. Loved those 'Go fish' ponds in the primary days. A refrigerator card board box all decorated up with sea creatures stoked the fantasy. But there is a lot more here...

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  2. I love your interpretation of this prompt, it's very unique, very stylised. A brilliant piece of poetry, Willow, as always :)

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  3. Paul, I would play with these metal fish for hours and hours. I nearly cried when my uncle surprised me with them last year. I hadn't seen them for at least 45 years. (hee, maybe more)

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  4. Clever and poignant poem. It speaks to and for so many--I keep rolling the words over and over again in my mind. REALLY beautiful, Willow.

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  5. What a lovely gift, and words as always. Me being who I am, saw the image and thought "I could make some cute jewelry with those".

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  6. Nice Willow. That took me on a little journey outside of myself for a while. I don't suspect one can ask more of a poem. Bravo!

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  7. Your blog and your Magpie Tales are always such a feast for the senses, Willow.

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  8. Hmmm - thought provoking - brings back memories, too.

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  9. Deep sea fishing in the sea of childhood memories. Nice.

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  10. A perfect example of why I love poetry...concise and beautiful imagery. Thank you!

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  11. wow willow. nicely done....the last verse threw me a bit because of the turn...thrown out...baptism...coin in the fishes mouth..

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  12. One picture and yet a an intricate series of events! Great.

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  13. Oh, you bring back those everlasting precious memories with this poem Willow. Another keeper!

    L&B , Lady D

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  14. Willow,
    You've enjoyed a rich and rewarding life. I think that's because you get as good as you give!
    A children's story in such few words!
    rel

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  15. Willow your poem's do get me to thinking. Sometimes takes me a few times to read to get. Wonderful as usual.
    QMM

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  16. I remember when he gave them to you...it was a very touching moment : )

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  17. Very nice -- childhood and religion provide us writers with so much fodder . . .

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  18. Willow,
    Your poem is excellent. I really loved it. Have you heard (or read) "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen? The bit about Jesus in his broken boat reminded me of a verse in Cohen's song:

    And Jesus was a sailor
    When he walked upon the water.
    And he spent a long time watching
    from his lonely wooden tower.
    And when he knew for certain
    only drowning men could see him he said,
    "All men will be sailors then
    until the sea shall free them."

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  19. Willow, this is a lovely poem. You are a brilliant writer!

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  20. I was at a loss of words after reading your poem, when I happened upon Creinauer's comment about Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" - s/he is so right: I can now hear Cohen's voice singing your words to that haunting melody. Fascinating, Willow!

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  21. I meant at a loss FOR words. ;-)

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  22. Willow

    Beautiful childhood memories and you get to relive them all over again by receiving them as a gift. Beautiful poem.

    Joanny

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  23. Such a wonderful poignant gift to receive. The poetry and images really move me.

    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  24. Incredible job you did with this, Willow!

    Life's Journey is available now at https://www.createspace.com/3439758and will be on Amazon.com in about a week or less.
    Life's Journey
    www.createspace.com

    Poems about the things that have been important to me in my journey through life, some humorous, some sad, some that may have meaning to you as well.

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  25. Hi, thanks for your lovely comment on my blog! :) Nice poem!
    You have a beutyful blog :) I whish you a great weekend!
    Hugs Anki, Norway

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  26. willow wayyyy back in the history of willow i remember a story about a brother? or someone who brought back family toys. is this one of those or is my overactive imagination creating a non-existent story line! i like this. a lot! steven

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  27. Reminds me of the little chalk statue, tokens of bravery, we used to receive from the dentist...I would've rather had less pain, back in the day.

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  28. Your Magpie Tales in all their great variety are becoming a significant force in the blogging community. I went back and re-read this poem with Cohen's voice running through my head and was very pleased.

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  29. Well, I found "Sallman’s dishy sailor", Willow. His art hadn't featured in my life! The last stanza needs a little more thought but I remember those fish.

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  30. Steven, it was my dear uncle who gave me the fish.

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  31. Derrick, you think the last stanza needs more work? Hmm, well, It pretty much sums up the message I'm trying to convey, as is.

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  32. Hey, all, I didn't have Leonard Cohen in mind when I wrote this, but you're right! Now, I'm gonna hear him every time I read this one!

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  33. How do you do it? Your poetry is so ... etheric? What's the right word? Takes me out of the here and now and into a whole other world. Wow.

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  34. The trouble is that after reading your Magpies I decide that nothing can possibly compare with them so I back down. Class, Willow, real class.

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  35. Nice work, Willow, this one is a spinning off point to me. -J

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  36. Willow -- thanks for the visual and your poem. This is my first go at Magpie, and I have a feeling I'll be meeting a lot of new poets. Thank you for stopping by!

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  37. Oh my gosh Willow ... I haven't thought about those fish in AGES! Even after seeing the picture of them, I didn't remember them. But your poem took me back! It's as if you painted this little vignette moment from my childhood right here on your page! Wow .... GF, you amaze me!

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  38. Dear Willow: These remembrances of the past are so intregal a part of being. How did your uncle get the fish? They were handed out for Sunday school? This being a Methodist practise? Reminds me of "A River Runs Through It" and fly fishing! Love the book and movie! The fish charms are so charming and mystical!

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  39. Complex but with such a simple meaning, the variety of poems once again has me in awe of these.

    Christine

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  40. A lovely poem enhanced by the return of the wonderful fish. I love this one.

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  41. I feel like I am the only one who does not know what these little fish are and how you got them? I feel like I am locked out of a secret club.

    You are a great writer...very easy to read.

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  42. Lisa, they are little pot metal fish charms, about an inch long, that were given as rewards in Sunday School in the Brethren Church of my tiny Indiana town for scripture memorization, attendance, etc., back in the 50s. I thought they were the coolest things ever.

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  43. Lovely piece. Thanks too, for the prompt, and sharing more back story in the comments.

    Great story!

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  44. I don't what it is about the word 'token'-- it wafts up into the shadows in my brain--on the edges--it is hard to explain but the word triggers some hidden faint memory

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  45. Willow, you always make me think.

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  46. Willow- lovely - now here's your sweet reward...ice cream!
    http://katheworsley.blogspot.com/2010/05/burnt-orange-ice-cream.html

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  47. Willow, you are truly good at this. Thank you!

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  48. Your poetry and imagination just thrill me..you always surprise!

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  49. Willow. You mine your history in ways that bring it to life with a sense way beyond the actual event. I like the way you take risks with your words.

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  50. What a fabulous mixture this picture has inspired. I shall be back!

    '...till his bouncers show up
    and throw me out,for a full baptism in the street'. Magic stuff!

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  51. I love your writing; full of history, feelings and tiny glimpses of another life. Joan T

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  52. Our church didn't believe in "pandering" to children, so we didn't have much fun (or many children, now that I think about it). I would LOVE to have had rewards for scripture memorization.

    On the flip side, I did get the kicked out baptism into the world business, so there's that.

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  53. well slap me down with amazement..this was awesome

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  54. I absolutely loved the picture and feelings you painted with your words.

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  55. Willow, I love how you can make poetry out of anything and everything.

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  56. What a wonderful expression of a great memory.

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  57. This poem's very well-done. There were no metal fish in the Sunday School of my childhood, but I certainly remember Sallman's sailor. That print hung in my preacher-Dad's office, though I don't think he'd selected it.

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