Sunday 26 August 2012

The Drawing Room


Big Room, 1948, by Andrew Wyeth

It was the Sunday room
‘cept Sunday never really came;
 one loveless day blurred into the next...

It was the drawing room,
guests entertained by perfect hosts…

Bottom nanny tapped
“Go in!  Go in,
my little precious one,
they’re waiting!” 
(Mummy what I want most of all
is to be your friend...)

…and I’d go in
hating the feigned affection,
affected for the sake of others,
held close to your chest
I’d feel your bitter cold
as you muttered
empty loving words in longing ears,
mixed messages of frigid mother love.

(Mummy what I want most is to be your friend…)

Life ends, nothing left of you
but dust and bitter memories.  
The room draws me in
and I see you there
hiding in the gloom and shadows
gazing at my photo on the mantel
and I finally understand,
how can those
who have not known love give love,
you reach out for me
from beyond the living
and I feel the warmth within your hand.

Anna :o]

With thanks to Tess at The Mag for this weeks prompt.

30 comments:

Wayne Pitchko said...

I like what you have done with the photo....well done...and thanks for sharing

Brian Miller said...

dang...tight emotions in this one...those first three lines...and the mama i just want to be your friend...and how can those who have not known love give love

Tess Kincaid said...

It's hard to give love having not known it...lovely write...

Anonymous said...

nice, shame to not figure it out till after...but often the case

Unknown said...

Life has some hard lessons sometimes. How sad for a home to carry memories like this. Very fragile and painful. Thank you for sharing this, Anna.

Irish Gumbo said...

Ah, so bittersweet. The connection at the end made me sigh :)

Martin said...

So sad, not to have had experience of unconditional, parental love.

kaykuala said...

It tugs at the emotions. Moms had always given way. It is sad! Nice write Anna!

Hank

ADDY said...

Very stirring.

Helen said...

Your lovely poem brings back bittersweet memories of the movie "The Help." I enjoyed this!

Friko said...

I know exactly what this poem is saying, whether you have experienced the feeling yourself or not.

Jenny Woolf said...

What a great poem this is, Anna. I was really moved to read it.

Frances Garrood said...

Absolutely brilliant, Anna. Loved it!

Susan Anderson said...

Evocative. And I loved this line:

hating the feigned affection,
affected for the sake of others,

Well done.

ds said...

Powerfully sad...how can you give love if you have not known it...wonderful stuff. Thank you.

Bodhirose said...

Oh, wow..sad, Anna. True...can't demonstrate what you don't know...but so bittersweet at the end when feeling her reaching out from beyond...

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thank you for your welcome comments folks.

Anna :o]

Daydreamertoo said...

That is so true. Unless anyone has been shown love, they can't know how to give it. Very deep, sad, and lovely interpretation Anna.

Lydia said...

I would not have missed this poem for anything, Anna. It hits hard but is full of loving wisdom. Will be one of my favorites this week, for sure.

MadSnapper said...

so the empty room made you think sad thoughts to. beautiful words and they fit perfectly. i love the name of your blog

Little Nell said...

Interesting that an empty room prompts thoughts of a mother child relationship which is also hollow and empty. The description is well done and I like the sense of 'closure' at the end.

Anonymous said...

anna, your poem is heartbreaking and i can relate to the feelings
expressed here.

and so true and sweet how the girl
hopes and continues to love her
mother.

thank you.

jabblog said...

Touching - and this must have happened to so many.Lovely.

Dave King said...

My thought was the same as Tess's: you have to be given love before you can give it. Beautiful write.

Lyn said...

So Upstairs/ Downstairs...so sad, and perfect reconciliation, a thread of love...

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Cheers for your welcome comments folks. Much appreciated.

Anna :o]

~T~ said...

The room does look cold, doesn't it? A good reminder to give love before it's too late.

Yvonne Osborne said...

This is beautiful. One of my favorites and it took me all week to make my way around. Guess that's why I seldom have time to do Magpie justice.

I love the repeat, "mommy..." and the line about not having known love is especially poignant. The poem made me think of being a child and having all your adult "aunts" and "uncles" hugging you and telling you how much they love you and you, as a child, just want to escape.

Thanks and thanks for visiting mine.

Steve King said...

A beautifully composed piece. Who says there are no such things as ghosts? Nice job.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thank you for your very welcome comments folks.

Anna :o]