Family Poems

It's time for some poetry, again. I listened to an interview with Carol Lynn Pearson, and I related to this poem she read.

Pioneers

My people were Mormon pioneers.
Is the blood still good?
They stood by in awe as truth
Flew by like a dove
And dropped a feather in the West.
Where truth flies you follow
If you are a pioneer.

I have searched the skies
And now and then
Another feather has fallen.
I have packed the handcart again
Packed it with the precious things
And thrown away the rest.

I will sing by the fires at night
Out there on uncharted ground
Where I am my own captain of tens
Where I blow the bugle
Bring myself to morning prayer
Map out the miles
And never know when or where
Or if at all
I will finally say,
“This is the place,”

I face the plains
On a good day for walking.
The sun rises
And the mist clears.
I will be alright:
My people were Mormon pioneers.

“Pioneers,”
by CAROL LYNN PEARSON


I think I like a bit of melodrama, and I certainly did in the past. Some of the language of my next poem reflects that, but my poem, and the one from my brother that inspired it, are family relationship poems, so I think they are fitting to pair with "Pioneers." I'll admit, I still find some pleasure in my brother's flattery.

To a Brother

Andrew G. Cannon

1997

I’ve always felt this way;

Like a spring, bubbling and rumpling

over your rock;

Like a wind, laugh-whistling

through your mountain canyons.

And I’m doing it again:

too much stagger and swoon,

too much caper and fancy, loose-foot step.

When I think of you,

I’m still.

I’d gladly be an Aaron,

to your Moses.

Brother Tree, Brother Bird

1998

How are you strong? What are the depths

That my eyes can’t see that your roots have conquered?

How can you day after day hold so firm

Your reaching branches, so straight your trunk?

How can you lose your leaves and patiently

Wait month after month their return?

What essence flows in your veins that year

After year makes you grow and bud and blossom?

As I flit here and there through your shade,

Like one more shadow of your windblown leaves,

What makes you constant?

You wrong yourself my unsure brother.

Don’t you remember we grew together?

My trunk grew straight, your wings grew strong,

My leaves spread wide, your eyesight long.

You see the stream that feeds my soul?

It’s the same that feeds yours—the very same.

I draw what it whispers down through the earth

That it carries so cleanly from distant hills;

You gather its joy as it laughs and twirls

And channels the words of messenger clouds.

It is true that my heart is bound in the earth

So that all who know me can find me and rest,

And they call me constant, they call me calm,

They call me strong, they call me friend.

You think you’re inconstant because your feet

Have only scratched the hard brown earth

And never taken root to send

Your body straining towards the light,

But you wrong yourself, my doubting friend.

You forget the wind, the wind that I

Can barely touch when it comes to me.

The wind that makes me desire to soar

So near the sun where you often go.

Yes, maybe you’re not gone for long

And always return to my waiting branches,

But you carry back a taste of the light

That my patient branches cry out to possess,

And my tormented roots, that seem so strong,

Drive down for the hold to free their hope

And throw their branches to the sky

Where all will see as they now watch and marvel

At you, soaring and circling in the light

And on the wind that you possess,

Which I can only feel as, rustling,

It passes me by.

Redemption

The second poem defined the topic of this post. Mine isn't one of my favorites, but I really liked it when I wrote it. I suppose it's a snapshot of me, so OK to share. I do really like the development of George Herbert's image and its sudden resolution that is only a beginning.

“Neither did their own arms save them”
            Psalm 44:3
1996

Fatigued, my arms had let me fall and then
They picked me up and climbed and fell again.
My mind then tired and asked my arms if still,
In their fatigue and hurt, they had the will
To reach the top? Or was there happiness
In doing good below with tiredness
Less great, if also strength was less? For arms
Unspent still more can give than wasted arms.

In wisdom arms of parents took new hold
Of my young life that they had let unfold
A bit alone, and stood me up and said,
“You know you want to climb. With lifted head
You’ll climb to reach the top, but you must do
Good works along the way and seek what’s true.
And even if you never reach the top
You have to love the climb and never stop.”

Then life returned and I began to climb
And work and share and do some good, and time
Began to make me smile and lose some pride;
No longer did I seek a place to hide,
But seek to climb and not concern my mind
With how high was the top and who would find
That I was so far down and climbing slow
With hardly strength of will to even go.

But then I found a friend and strength to pull
As I thought more of her than of the role
I wasn’t playing as I thought I should.
There, climbing up to her, the climb was good.
She offered me her arms as I came near
And gave me strength and hope, and took my fear
That made me fall, and held me with kind care.
When I could climb no more, I rested there.


Then it was time to climb again alone.
I left my friend and parents and my home.
I had to help some others farther down,
But still I felt the lifting arms surround
And help me climb to places I would not
Have reached, for by myself not strength nor thought
Were great enough.  I also felt a part
Of them. With them I opened up my heart.

Then all changed. The lifting arms were gone,
And all my strength was asked to just hang on.

Our Father then uncovered his strong arm,
Which through all things protected me from harm,
And picked me up and said, "You want to reach
The top, but you must help to climb, and teach,
And love to learn from all that you will know.
For all alone the way’s too hard to go.
To two together I will give my hand
And in your climb lift you to higher land.


Redemption

Having been tenant long to a rich Lord,
Not thriving, I resolved to be bold,
And make a suit unto Him, to afford
A new small-rented lease, and cancel th’ old.
In heaven at His manor I Him sought:
They told me there, that He was lately gone
About some land, which He had dearly bought
Long since on Earth, to take possession.
I straight returned, and knowing His great birth,
Sought Him accordingly in great resorts—
In cities, theatres, gardens, parks, and courts:
At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth
   Of thieves and murderers; there I Him espied,
   Who straight, “Your suit is granted,” said, and died.

        George Herbert 1593-1633