Poetry Friday — Donald Revell and a Birthday

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   Today, my Small One turns nine.

Which isn’t possible, of course, because no time at all has passed and I can still fold her into my lap and kiss her eyelids, as soft today as they were then.

But there you go.
Parenthood (and childhood too, for that matter) is filled with impossibilities.
How quick and deep the love, how high the late-night fevers, how hilarious the first lurching steps, how like and unlike us…. Since becoming a mother, I nay say a lot less than I used to.

Happy Birthday, my sweet and most vigorous child for whom everything is possible.
Thank goodness for you. Thank goodness…

 

“Birds small enough…”

by Donald Revell

Birds small enough to nest in our young cypress

Are physicians to us


They burst from the tree exactly
Where the mind ends and the eye sees

(Read the rest here…)

44 Responses to “Poetry Friday — Donald Revell and a Birthday”

  1. jamarattigan

    “Glad day, glad day, sparrow-hatted old New York.”

    Happy Birthday, Small One! It seems impossible — because I just remember Tall One turning nine. Your calendar must be wrong.

    Have a lovely celebration!

  3. saralholmes

    Happy Year Nine, Small One! And happiness to your momma, too, who is still a small one at heart. 🙂

    Your selection of poetry never fails to make me happy, Liz.

  4. Anonymous

    Elaine M.

    Liz,

    Today, my one and only child turns thirty! Happy Birthday to your “Small One” and to my “Big Girl”–who will be getting married in July. Thank goodness for our sweet and vigorous daughters. Actually, my daughter has a personality much like her mother’s–not too sweet. She’s an inveterate wise*ss like me.

  5. Anonymous

    Liz, here’s a song from one of my favorite bands, and the song—for different reasons—always make me think of my sweet daughter, Piper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idghDgZOjss. I share it with you to share with your Small One.

    Here are the lyrics (second song, the one “for Anna”) –http://www.theinnocencemission.com/walked_lyrics.htm

    Happy birthday to her! I love that poem. I’m going to go re-read. It’s beautiful.

    Happy birthday to Elaine’s daughter, too!

    Jules
    7-Imp

  6. poetteach

    Happy birthday Small One

    Liz,

    I’m new to the KidLit world. But I know how fast times flies with a child. Next year mine graduates, yet it doesn’t seem that long ago I was getting him ready for Kindergarten.

    Mothers are wonderful readers of books and their children. A child is like a living book. Everyday that passes is like turning another page. Mothers watch and study their children so they can hear what they are not saying as well as to listen to their words. Reading your child can be exhilarating and challenging at times, but always rewarding.

    Enjoy your day together!

    Also, Donald Revel is a great poet. And congrats on your new book, All the World!!!

    Laura Evans

  7. Anonymous

    p.s. Did you read about the poet at that link you gave us? “Craft is nothing. Sincerity is everything.” Wow.

    Jules

    • liz_scanlon

      I know. That’s CRAZY isn’t it? I mean, I don’t buy it one hundred percent ’cause really, craft? Nothing? I dunno. But yes to sincerity. yes yes yes…

  8. Anonymous

    Thanks for introducing me to this poem. And how I relate to what you’ve posted, “Which isn’t possible, of course, because no time at all has passed …” My daughter turns 10 on Valentine’s Day. Double digits — whoa! While she doesn’t want to look at baby photos together, I am thrilled she’s been sharing some of her own poetry with me lately, what a gift! (The diary remains off-limits, which I have vowed to respect!)
    Love ALL THE WORLD, what a gift to us readers!

  10. Anonymous

    Thank goodness indeed! NINE YEARS, wow….is that really possible?!? I was rocking Jonah last night and sang him my Amazing Grace/Silent Night lullaby medley and thought of Willa. Once I thought she was completly asleep and then she started to hum along, too cute. It reminded me of a very polite suggestion once…to not rock her to sleep *every* day for nap…seeing as how she might come to expect it. I get that one now…

  11. mlyearofreading

    Yeah, I have to argue with the “craft is nothing” bit. Sincerity is essential, but sincerity might only ever amount to a Hallmark card. Craft plus sincerity is a mother who can proclaim her unique love for her unique daughter in such a way as to bring tears to the eyes of the audience.