It's All ....in the Pocket

trying...something different... dedicated to those who ( Beat the Streets )

 

Pockets…

 

Yellowed pouch with the torn corner

in the front of Grams’ housecoat

where she tucked crumpled Kleenex, coupons and scriptures

folded by gentle mighty hands,that sought Gods advice

Praying one of these …would change things

 

 

Pockets…

Spaces that grow, between Mothers and daughters

we're talking chasms here

spaces deep enough, for all manner of life's doings to fall in

and fill it enough to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it wide

till it groans

but not high enough to climb out

 

Traded-up for jeans

with tiny wanna-be pockettas

so tight

she had to carry  house keys, and pacifiers

as she pushed baby carriages along the sidewalk of

Mothers' predictions

 

Followed by second chances

As she slid notebooks and term papers into diaper bags

Next to Grandmas coupons tucked in with a few dollars for the baby

on the way to night school

 

Until….

Business plans and meeting notes

filled Coach briefcases and bags

That cost more than the rent

Of that old apartment

 

Pockets …

Born to grow a boy to a man

Big enough to hold slingshots, Marbles, baseball cards and lucky talismans

Gave way …To sag jeans

That held love notes, Condoms

and  failed quizzes to be signed

 

Grew badder …

Stuffed with  cell phones and 9mm pistols

overheated by fifteen years of rage and despair

 

Till they overflowed ,with folded funeral handouts

As he went to church with his boys, for the very first time

they cried like men

 reaching ….to take the Kleenex from Grams mighty hands

 

Pockets ……

Hoodies Stuffed with cold hands, dreams and late-nights

As he hustled across campus for finals

 

Evolved to, sewn-shut pockets

of expensive suits,hung on brass hangers

In offices

He....called the shots in.

 

Pockets…

He counted them…. the pouches, behind the pews for Bibles and hymnals

As he walked down the aisle

to stand before Grams for the last time

Kneeling only long enough to tuck a folded yellow scripture

into the pocket of her dress

He took his seat next to the woman with the coach bag

Kissed her forehead,took the baby from her arms

And thought.......

        How prayer changes things.

 

 

Blesssssss

 

 ©2007 bythewurd J Hampton

Reviews

[Emily B]

Never really looked at pockets quite this way before. . . I was struck by the frayed pocked on the granny's housecoat. That's an image that really drew me in. The circularity of the pockets struck me and I wondered what Gram thought of the in-between times. But, then, maybe we are told by that line about how prayer changes things.

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses. . .

[Glenn]

this was great. I love it. So much life and reality in the midst of pockets. You make the strangest subjects into great works of art and stories of life.

[Brooklyn Darkchild]

"...along the sidewalk of
Mothers' predictions..."

LORD how I lived that. Struggle to keep my third generation beauty from wearing a rut in that same darned sidewalk.

"...overheated by fifteen years of rage and despair..."
Living that now for the thousandth time as yet another manchild of mine crashes his head against the low ceiling of society's (non)expectations for him. Grandchildren to follow VERY shortly. I STILL pray for mine and the oldest "boy" is thirty.

What a great gift you have for turning a phrase... How rich a colorful you make the bleakness of life appear. And how wonderfully these oft-told-tales turned out, simply because Granny prayed...
The Spirit of the Lord moves through your work Jen, I am blessed each time I read a post from you--rush to read whenever I see something new. Much about this site seems dead to me, I rarely visit anymore, but time after time I find myself searching for a word...from you.
Be Blessed Sis.
As you have Blessed Me.
Dc

[Bubo]

What a wonderful deep piece, and all on pockets that we rarely think about, or what we put in them, they are just pieces of material after all and sometimes I guess other peoples contents would be fascinating!
Really enjoyed the emotions throughout, Grams, and the tie in with female and male...............very creative!

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

I, too, would have never considered to write about this subject. Yet the story that unfolds of all growing and representing themselves by what rests inside is such a wonderful idea and write here. A true delight to read. Thank you for sharing.
Light,
Siddartha

[TL Boehm]

oh the cafe actually ATE my last review attempt at this. I loved this piece this metaphor for life and love but I think the strongest part for me was of the boy simply because I saw parts of my own teen superimposed over your words.
Incredibly written.

[Joshua]

I have to say I really liked this one - our lives, trials and tribulations as told by or through the pockets we wear and hold. It was well done in my humble opinion. Particularly Gram's mighty hands, which are mentioned as such twice. With emotions shown by the objects in the pockets, I wonder if it is even necessary to mention the emotions themselves? Inanimate objects (i.e. clothing and pockets) have amazing and powerful stories to tell. Again, nice work on this.

[Helen Woodward]

No Jen, I think the continuity is really good, I would bold the lead-in to each stanza as it will help the reader focus, but that's about it. It's a good piece, really xx

[Helen Woodward]

Doesn't need working on Jen, it's fine as it is, I'm like that with handbags.
I lovedthis, it's so real!
Helen.

[Cdnsurfer]

Hmm. I thought I reviewed this. I guess I haven't. Overall this is a good draft with some brilliant imagery here and there, and an interesting form and structure that ties each image together well. I did note, as I'm sure you are away, that the images in some stanzas are less formed that in others, so the smoothness of the transitions from one scene to the next are not always crisp. I guess I feel that way because there isn't a common theme running through each image; there's a common structure. So, once you figure out that common theme and tighten it'll be sharp. I really want to see the finished product here. I also loved the circularity of this piece with returns back to scriptures in pocket.

Please let me know when you hammer it out. It is already pretty impressive. Email me and I'll re-read again then. Rob

[Cold Coffee Magazine]

Whats the use in buying pants with tiny pockets? To me it defeats the purpose of pockets. If its the image of pockets you after but not ral pockets don't put real pockets of dimunitive size on the pants.Createthe illusion of pockets instead.

DAve