Hi, my dear fellow toads, this is Susie Clevenger. I would like to introduce you to the collaborative poem of Sherry and I, Unsung Lullaby. When Kerry sent out the request to ask who would be interested in writing a collaborative poem, I was excited and responded with an emphatic yes. I looked forward to the challenge. I was later notified I would be paired with Sherry and what a blessing. I had recently worked with Sherry on an interview, and I knew we would be a good fit.
Sherry asked me if I had any ideas. She suggested I write a poem and she would write a response. I am not quite sure why I started sharing something so personal, but it just seemed to be a door I needed to open. I will not go into detail here, but from reading our poem you will know the sadness that has troubled me. It is pain I haven’t even spoken about with my family. Kerry must have been listening to the spirits when she paired Sherry and I. Sherry’s response was something I needed to help me with such an emotional issue. I speak my heartfelt thanks to both of these incredible women for giving me an opportunity to share and be given words of healing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~UNSUNG LULLABY
Tears fall from the unsung lullaby
onto the cradle of my empty arms.
My age would speak of grandchildren,
blue eyes that mirror my daughters’,
the gentle laughter to echo
the sound that bubbles from
the well that is my offspring.
Our family tree stands pruned
of the wonder of my children.
Life’s fate took their unborn
before they could even be conceived.
I wrap in my cloak of unspoken words
to grieve life’s unfairness.
I feel most selfish to weep in my valley
when my beautiful girls have bravely
walked through the valley of their own loss.
Where is my encourager that I might smile?
I cannot stay in my dark pit to succumb to self pity.
My children are the sun of my days.
I must not become their cloud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susie, do you hear??
Listen. Listen.
There’s a voice,
singing in the wind.
Hear her with me.
singing in the wind.
Hear her with me.
It is Wind Woman,
who is speaking.
who is speaking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“When the cold North Wind blows
a bitter blast upon
your shivering shoulders,
listen carefully to her voice.
She has come to take
your keening song
and blow it away
across the mountaintops.
She is making way
for the warm West Wind
to come,
who will softly dry your tears,
and whisper words
of promise.
West Wind will say:
Let your arms
and your heart open wide,
and Life will send you
little voyagers
to love.
The lonely unloved
children of the world
are waiting for
your smile,
your hug,
your heart.
As you travel
on your journey,
keep your lap ready
and your arms
outstretched and open
and, one by one,
through the years,
they will find you.
This, I promise,
will return
the sun
to your sky.
This will give
your lovely daughters
Hope that,
one day,
their empty arms
will fill
with children,
too.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susie, did you hear her?
I heard her speaking, too.
My friend,
any time your arms,
your dreams,
your heart,
are feeling lonely,
just listen.
Listen to hear
Wind Woman
singing on the wind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was so happy to be paired with Susie. We decided the easiest collaboration for my old brain cells might be for Susie to write a poem, and for me to respond to it. This topic is on Susie's mind these days, and when I received her query, I reflected on how many children the world has brought to my doorstep through the years - so many little wayfarers in need of kindness and comfort. So it was easy to form a reply. Not to deny the pain of the unsung lullaby, but to acknowledge that nature abhors a vacuum and, when there is a heart full of love, the universe sends along people most in need of receiving it.
Susie's work can be found at her site Confessions of a Laundry Goddess.
Sherry writes at Stardreaming with Sherry Blue Sky.