[Critique Group 2] Leonard's comments on Alice's piece

[tuchyner5 at aol.com]

You  have told so muchabout your Grandmother through her hands. 

We know that she was a woman with a great heart, 

that she was a butcher, baker, cook, artist, 

was strong, had artritis, 

that she was old, When she died,  

I doubt that you could have said as much about anyone usinganother part of the body. And, you told us that you had piano hands, but wealready knew that. Great writing.

 

 

The Hands of Liza Bogetto Massa--MyGrandma Farm

 

By Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

When I was very young,

Mrs. Toner told me that I had piano hands:

Despite my shorter stature,

What was there about your shoulder 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 TheDepression

And handed them her homemade bread and jelly.

Those confident hands held the beads of the rosary eachnight

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 sessionof November 19)

same e-mail address:  alicejmassa at gmail.com

new landline:  414/249-3878

 

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