Tag Archives: parenting

Rise

May 5, 2024 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

(Poem 124 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

https://images.app.goo.gl/wJTsFk2Qgnv5pQiQ6

Anyone who has ever parented a surly teen or
held a baby and felt their entire dependence as
your responsibility can relate to the poignant family
dynamic scenes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Caesar’s coming of age trauma hurts us mothers
and fathers because we watch our own babies
suffer the slings and arrows of this world unprotected.
No matter our desire to rescue them from the pain
of growth, the journey is theirs and theirs alone.
If only the world could be a softer place for our
children, but alas, we must limp along and support
each other, for “alone…weak. Together…strong.”

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall (after watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes at Greg’s house with Greg and his family, Debbie, Celinda, and David on 5/4/24) – 124^th poem of the year

Rupert Wyatt, et al., Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Beverly Hills, CA, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2011.

Poetry, Writing

Mema Day

May 5, 2024 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

(Poem 123 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

I took this photograph on Mema’s front porch 5/4/24.

My sister bought a box
of butterflies to release in
honor of Mema’s birthday.
We gathered, all five
generations of us, and
watched in awe as they
emerged from their sleepy
coldness to warm to the
overcast heat of a May day.
Each butterfly took its own
time exploring this new
brightness of air and space,
flitting from tiny human to
big human to ground to
metal rooftop and beyond.
The last Painted Lady
dilly-dallied and decided
to rest a while on a potted
plant on Mema’s porch.
None of us really knew
what to expect and were
pleasantly surprised at the
loveliness of the little
creatures Mema loved so.

@The Writing Barn: Buddha Hall (in honor of Mema’s birthday that was on May 2^nd and the butterfly release that was on May 4^th. She would have been 89.) – 123^rd poem of the year

Poetry, Writing

70 is the New 50

April 28, 2024 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

(Poem 116 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

AI Generated image I prompted on Gencraft.com https://gencraft.ai/p/96djvD

70 is the new 50.
Bike, climb, hike, romance;
the world is your oyster,
the sky the limit.
You can smell the roses
and shoot for the moon,
throw your hat in the ring
and take the bull by the horns.
So, bite the bullet,
but don’t break a leg
because the ball’s in your court,
and it’s time to sing your own praises.
You make your own destiny,
for nothing is set in stone.
Since all bets are off,
pull out all the stops,
make a castle in the sky,
and do everything on your bucket list.

@Home Studio – 116^th poem of the year

Runner ups for the Granny Fun photos to accompany my poem:

Poetry, Writing

Matilda

April 23, 2024 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

(Poem 110 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

The evil Miss Thrunchbull (Emma Thompson) and the brilliant young Matilda (Alisha Weir) square off in “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Matilda was dealt an awful hand,
the most neglectful parents in all the land.
When finally caught by the powers that be,
she went to school, which filled her with glee.

Sad to say, the school was the worst,
run by a tyrant who believed kids were cursed.
Poor Matilda was viewed as an evil child,
so she made up stories that were truly wild.

A librarian was her biggest fan,
who encouraged her to take a stand.
Then her teacher Ms. Honey cheered her on,
and eventually all the threats were gone.

Now Matilda has a family and friends,
a happy school, and love that never ends.
She even has a house and a yard,
so she can continue her role as a bard.

@Home Studio – (after watching the musical Matilda with Debbie and Celinda) 110^th poem of the year

Warchus, Matthew, director. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical film. TriStar Pictures, 2022.