Friday, April 22, 2016

Papa and Henry




Papa and Henry

There's my gallant Henry,
high on his steed,
ready to gallop into the sunset!

                                                  Tell the truth, Pa.
                                                  We both know
                                                  from the set

                                                 of Dolly's ears
                                                 what was about to happen.
                                                 I was lucky to get

                                                 out of that alive.
                                                 When Dolly went to live at the Dobler's
                                                 I was not upset.

Henry, my boy, what's stopping us
from inventing a better story
complete with some imaginary regrets?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016




Jama has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week at Jama's Alphabet Soup.



10 comments:

  1. "What's stopping us from inventing a better story...." I love that line and all its possibilities. Great picture and great poem! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Love this conversation!

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  3. I love your old-time photos and the poetry they've inspired.

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  4. Ha! I actually had a pony when I grew up, who decided often enough that she didn't want us on her back anymore. I know those ears! Love this, Mary Lee, right with the photo.

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  5. Your photos this past week have been especially endearing -- the little car, the boy in big boots, and now this pony. I like the conversation in today's poem, and the optimistic view of re-inventing the past -- which is what you've been doing all month. :)

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  6. Oh, yes, the set of the ears - sometimes you get lucky and they are listening and trying to assess your skill set.
    Great story with this image.

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  7. I feel like I'm listening in on family conversations with the liberty of filling in beginnings, endings, middles. I'm wondering, how did Henry survive the "set of Dolly's ears?" Without too many fractured appendages, I hope. Wonderful series!

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  8. Anonymous5:56 AM

    Mary Lee, you're doing a masterful job creating these characters! I love Papa's voice!

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  9. I love the way you used space in this poem - it really set the pace and tone of the poem. I have been thinking more about white space. I love how you set those 3 stanzas off to the side.
    Clare

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  10. This is perfect! I've experienced the "set of Dolly's ears." Only my Dolly was named Melody and I went a flyin'. Our Dolly was the sweetest and gentlest horse ever! So being around horses as a child...up to young adult, I felt you captured the photo with poetic perfection! Nice!

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