[Critique Group 2] poem for November 19 critique session

[Alice Massa]

Dear Group 2 writer friends,

At the November 1 BOE meeting, Joan’s guest and friend Marilyn Johnston 
gave us to prompts to develop for her poetry workshop.That night, I 
wrote a first draft about my grandmother’s hands; tonight I expanded and 
significantly revised the poem.For our critique session of November 19, 
I share the following version of the poem with you.

*The Hands of Liza Bogetto Massa--My Grandma Farm*

By Alice Jane-Marie Massa

When I was very young,

Mrs. Toner told me that I had piano hands:

Despite my shorter stature,

I did have especially long hands--

An advantage for a pianist.

At an early age, I could reach more than an octave;

However, my hands were nothing like my grandmother’s hands.

My Grandma Farm’s hands crocheted Italian lace pieces

At the speed of an Olympic runner.

Those artistic hands that created such textile art

Could also quickly wring the neck of a chicken

To provide a tasty supper for the family.

The strong hands that turned the polenta

Also made apple turnovers

 From the apple trees on the farm

And grape jelly from my grandfather’s grape arbor.

The hands that milked the cows each dawn

Later fed the chickens and sole rooster.

Those age-spotted hands that kept a spotless kitchen

Also scrubbed the wood of the three-seater outhouse.

The hands that never seemed to rest

Reached out to hungry neighborhood children during The Depression

And handed them her homemade bread and jelly.

Those confident hands held the beads of the rosary each night

To pray for her four sons

Who were in Europe during World War II

To fight for their mother’s adopted country.

Those hands that prayed so fervently

Welcomed home four sons--safe and well.

Grandma’s arthritic hands set examples of hard work, determination,

Laughter, and love for almost ninety-six years.

Now, with my piano hands,

I touch one of my grandmother’s many lace pieces;

And I realize her heart was in her hands.

Number of lines 34

Number of words:264

November 11, 2020, Wednesday (for Group 2 critique session of November 19)

same e-mail address:  alicejmassa at gmail.com

new landline:  414/249-3878


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