Saturday, September 13, 2008

And I See Losing Love is Like a Window in Your Heart

Today on my blog I'm fulfilling two assignments and posting some more recycled photos. The first one is the Saturday Scavenger Hunt. Mrs. Big Hairy Woman chose the word, which, not surprisingly, was hairy. There's a lot you can do with that, but I'm taking it literally. I've used this pic before, but nothing illustrates the extent of my hairy issues at such an early age like it. So, here's my family looking like its own version of the Village People when we lived in Phoenix, before the Village People existed. I'm the five year old white girl with dreadlocks, wearing the blue and white cowgirl outfit (probably for the fourth day in a row). See why my roommate in college diagnosed me with acute hair phobia? I'm sure I'd be tidy and well-adjusted, if only I had nice straight hair that didn't get all frizzy and messy looking.

Here's my oldest sister with one of my parents artsy/beatnicky friends in Chicago in the sixties.

My other assignment was given to me by Dana at My Gorgeous Somewhere blog. As I'm sure I've said before, I don't really trust or understand poetry. I love it, but I have no idea what makes a poem good, I just know that imagery in certain poems, can make me want to write prose. I also feel a little betrayed by poetry. All that counting of syllables, is like math disguised as language and you know how much I hate math. It's also why poetry would be an excellent discipline for my messy, cluttered brain, if only I weren't so damn lazy.

I mentioned to Dana that reading her writing, makes me want to write and that was one of the biggest compliments I could ever give a writer. So, Dana being wonderfully Dana, gave me an assignment to write an American Sentence about whatever her poems inspired in me. If you are like I was, and don't know what an American Sentence is, you can go here. Basically, it was a form invented by Allen Ginsberg as an American answer to the haiku - a sentence made up of 17 syllables.

Here is a line that Dana wrote that made me think about the whole child/parent guilt thing:

We make coffee
for ourselves but
not for our children.

At first, I thought it sounded selfish, but then coffee isn't good for children, so then it seemed sensible, if not protective. It made me think about that weird parent guilt that you feel when you do something for yourself that doesn't include your children. Then I extended it to the guilt children(and when I say children, I mean me) feel about being a pain in the ass, and complicating their parents' lives. Since my mom didn't live long enough for me to thank her or make things up to her after I became an adult, I still have a lot of remorse.

Here is another recycled photo of my mom at a party before she had children.

So, here's my American Sentence:

My mom had more fun and nicer legs before I was born - is that my fault?

17 comments:

Tara said...

My mom would warn us of broken glass in the kitchen but would walk in the kitchen herself to clean it up.

I always love your photos.

dmarks said...

"but then coffee isn't good for children"

At least until they start opening up "Starbuck Jr's" and heavily advertise during cartoons.

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

Love the hairy pics.. I love digging up old pictures of family.. really cause I like to see how dorky we all were then.. ha ha
Thanks for playing my hairy game..

Susan said...

My mom had amazing legs before I was born. She was 5'10'' and nothing but legs, or so dad says. I love my mom today just as much as I probably would have that lady back then.

I'm down and out in this little town. It seems like it's getting more frequent.

Anonymous said...

I make coffee for my children...I mean, if I don't have my coffee, I am grumpier around them, so in essence, it's for them.

Anonymous said...

The old photos are great. I like the artsy beatnik picture, he's wearing Chuck Taylors. The pictures fully represent the given word.

Anonymous said...

Hot damn. You hit it out of the park. I love it with the photo, too.

As far as counting syllables goes: don't. Just feel them in your body. Yes, poetry is *that* sexy. Trust me. (Why do you think I'm in it for the long haul?)

Cricket said...

17: I like your mom's sandals, but the stripes are a bit too much on the eyes.

Churlita said...

Tara,

Thanks. Your mom sounds pretty awesome.

DMarks,

All the flavored coffees are probably luring younger and younger drinkers.

Mrs.,

I like seeing our old clothes. I wish I still had that cowgirl outfit. I loved it wore it all the time.

Susan,

Definitely. I bet your mom was amazing before and after.

Stepping,

See? It's perfect. You get your coffee and your girls get a happier mom.

AlienCG,

Chuck Taylors never seem to go out of style. I figured if I was using a Ginsberg invention, I better show that I come by the beatnik stuff honestly.

Dana,

Thanks. I like my visual aids, as you well know.

I wish I could feel syllables in my body. Do they vibrate? Because that would be sexy.

Cricket,

I know. Her outfit is a bit busy. Those whacky beatniks and their unconventional clothing.

-RM said...

You were one cute kid!

Anonymous said...

Good job on hairy...

I started drinking coffee at 13...my grandpa is to thank for that. I took a sip of his and liked it...

laura b. said...

This is such a great post! I always love your old family photos. And now we all know why you are so into the crazy dance parties! It is clearly hereditary!

k_sra said...

your poem makes me laugh. how very american of you. i have wondered that sometimes about my mom. i think the answer is no. thanks for taking us back in time to see your hairy past. you did awesome, per usual! : )

Churlita said...

RM,

Thanks. Most kids are pretty darn cute, don't you think?

Evil-E,

My youngest daughter likes coffee too - as long as it has lots of sweetener in it.

LauraB.,

That's funny. I didn't even think of that. At least I come by the dork dancing honestly.

K_Sra,

Thanks. My past is definitely hairy.

Anonymous said...

Yes, they vibrate. And it *is* sexy.

-RM said...

LOL! No, I don't =) !

Tera said...

Well your mom looks like she was having fun...I see why you know how to KICK IT! :)

"And I see losing love is like a window in your heart..."

Sigh.