eyes dancing

a poem about a grandmother, a child and her missing mother . . .

Author's Note

Graphic credit: Kris Albright Photography

Publication credit: Eucalypt: The Australian Tanka Journal 2012

Reviews

[Angi]

This is such a warm and heartbreaking piece, Joyce! I am so happy that child has her gramma to love her when her mother cannot. You do these short poems so well. Can you believe I still haven't tried my hand at tanka? What is wrong with me?! This evokes a lot of emotion. Nicely done. Angi~

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Angi, for your insightful review. You understood what I was trying to suggest and I really appreciate that. Dreaming room leaves a lot up to the reader, and it's what you bring to a tanka that influences your reading of it. You obviously have the right sensibility for it, but your poetry is very good just the way it is, so I wouldn't worry about not writing tanka. It's not the most popular form around and I hesitate to post them on WC, but posting anything else seems kind of phony since I write mostly just tanka these days. Once again, thank you for your great review!

[Angi]

Oh Joyce, never hesitate to post your work. I know many of us would support you. I love your work. It is an amazing thing to bring a complete and satisfying thought to light in just a few lines. I have a lot of short stuff mixed throughout my pages. These days, my muse cannot get it down in a few words. It will come back to me. You are so welcome, btw.

[Rebecca Buller]

A beautiful, yet heart wrenching piece, Joyce. And the picture that you posted with this is simply adorable. A little girl with pearls picking flowers. Very sweet indeed:)

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Rebecca. I appreciate your nice words very much. They mean a lot to me.

[Dhaye]

Poor child. But there are many reasons why mothers cannot fulfill their duties as parent to their children:
- if it is an unwanted pregnancy, the mother tend to escape from the kind of life she felt she cannot embrace
- if she has to work to another place and there's no option but to leave the child to the grandmother
- if she's too busy in her work (because she's the breadwinner), and the nanny is the grandmother herself
- if she find another family

It's so distressing when you see a child left behind by the mother. Thanks God there's a grandmother who truly loves and cares for the child.

Well-done, Joyce.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Dhaye. You have left a tremendously insightful review and I thank you for it. From what I hear this problem is not just in the US but worldwide. The loss is definitely that of both the mother and the child. But at least some of the children have grandparents who are ready to love and care for them.

[Jeannear]

beautiful poem joyce.....

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Jeannear, for your very encouraging words.

[Muse]

And I love it when my girls pick weeds out of my yard to fill my vases. Lol, simply adorable.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Muse. Even dandelions are beautiful when a child gives them to us. Unfortunately for the child in my poem, her mother isn't there to receive her gifts. Thank God for the love of grandmothers who become surrogate mothers to those children!

[Tom]

Such pathos in this short poem, a stirring tribute of a grandmother's love and fortitude !

[Joyce S. Greene]

You are so right, Tom. I really appreciate your very insightful review.

[Rita L. Sev]

So sweet and sad at the same time - a grandmother's ability to see the dancing eyes that the child's own mother gave up. Lovely tanka, Joyce!

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you, Rita. I really appreciate your very nice revew.

[Lydia Shutter]

Oh what a tale you tell here. The grandmother stepping in as the mother figure when the actual mother decides she deos not want the responsibility. The grandmother obviously is deriving pleasure from being around her granddaughter. Filled with the inncence of childhood and deep familial love. So lovely, Joyce. Wonderful Tanka. Lydi**

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Lydi, you have made my night a much brighter one!

[Lydia Shutter]

Sorry for the typos....I am tired tonight.

[Joyce S. Greene]

Me, too. Sleep well, Lydi.

[Sami Khalil]

A very touching and emotive poem. It happens even in so many societies...Thank you for shedding the light...:)............

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Sami. I understand China has a big problem with this. It's a tragedy in my eyes. I really appreciate your very insightful review.

[Latifa]

I love the picture and the use of word is spot on

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks, Latifa. Your review brightened my evening!

[wordman]

but aren't they special,almost as if you never saw one
and the look in there eyes when they give it to you
real love

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thanks for your warm review, Ron. I'm always glad to see my work through your eyes.