Outstretched Arms

--composed December Second, 2002, in commemoration of the passing of my dear Aunt, Elsa Lampkin, whose favorite ritual when visiting her South Carolina sister was to run to the ocean�s e

OUTSTRETCHED ARMS


The Atlantic holds no further charms,
Since I'll not again see your outstretched arms
Silhouetted in her rising Sun
Shouting at her, "I'm back, Hon!"

Now, the stone embedded within my heart,
Which alone, I could not make depart,
Was, when I fin'ly asked your aid,
To my delight, to move was made!

A thousand lives your life has touched--
I'm proud to have been one of such
But now the Brightness of your Day has passed--
How shall we cope with the Darkness vast?

Now again, your back retreats from me,
As you stand on the Shore of a vaster Sea
With arms outstretched toward the risen Son,
And into His outstretched arms run!

Reviews

[Marie Anzalone]

Mark,

What a beautiful tribute for a very special woman. I can picture her there, framed n the sun, arms outstretched, unafraid to live with joy and hope and faith. I wonder how much of your faith was created through watching her? I cannot think of a more remarkable tribute to the daily miracle known simply as waking up alive to face the day.

A very moving piece. I especially love the way you framed the ending, and gently let her go to a better sunrise. Thank you so much for the request on this!

[J. J. Nightingale]

This is beautiful .. a most special tribute to a loved one .. I love the faith-full last stanza
This touched my heart .. and soul ..

Jasmine

[Lee]

Fine tribute, Mark. You clearly show her loss and her love of the Atlantic. I love the ending...the larger sea and the Son. Very nice touch. Yes, the ocean is magnificent and awe inspiring. Whether I look out my office window, stand on the shore and fish, paddle into the morning on surfboard or kayak, I still see its beauty. Thanks for sharing your Aunt's love for it. Keep smilin'...Lee

[cest la vie]

**Sigh**
As a woman who grew up with the Atlantic Ocean has her backyard and playground, I connected to this immediately. That vast, remarkable place on earth this is soothing, exciting and dangerous all on one place. The love your aunt has for the ocean is palpable in this write. I know her spirit soars on every wave that starts anew. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful, personal write.
Lynne

[Mason Vail]

I'm struck by the way a symbol, such as the sea, can be simultaneously painful, therapeutic, and promising. All at once it can remind you of your loss, conjure favorite memories, and promise something for the future.

[Big ol' Kahuna]

Very nice. I loved the first two and the last two lines the best, which to me is how it should be. Gets the reader on board early and carries through so the end is left with an impact, as this does. Loved the visuals created and it is a fine tribute to someone close to you. Well done.

[Ellen Hammond]

Now this one really touches my heart for many reasons. It is so visual, with those outstretched arms as one of your lovely memories of your aunt, and of course the ocean. I love how the first and last verse are similar yet vastly different....like the rising sun and the risen Son. This is a beautiful tribute to your aunt.

[David Lewis Paget]

Very touching, and graphic also, as it conjures up unforgettable images of those outstretched arms. In line 2 however, should that be 'your' arms? In the fourth verse, I think 'Days passed' would be more effectively rendered as 'day has passed', and it wouldn't interfere with the metre.
David

[R J Askew]

Very emotive title. Who can resist such a gesture of supplication or such a reaching out. Very human. Again I read the poem from a personal perspective before I read you note. The first line immediately set a strong image of the ocean in my head. Again, oceans are emotive, sort of grandfatherly presences in many of our lives with all manner of atavistic powers. Also the reaching out of the title and the not holding of the first line set up an immediate tension. Also the Atlantic is very symbolic for me at the moment as a great divide. And of course I see myself as a sea creature, and I swim a great deal. The stone in the heart also resonates as I have one of those, a stone. The passing of a brightness and a passing also have a personal meaning for me. The first line of the final verse reminds me of my mother walking back into a hospice where she was staying having waved me off. Very sad. I then read your note and understood the poem's deep personal significance. Much poetry is fairly meaningless, abstract, thin, whatever. So when we read a poem that has real emotion, real people in it, it immediately stands out of being more worth the reading. The best thing about this is the touching way you capture a delightful characte trait of the dear lady.

[emmajoy]

What a beautiful tribute to your aunt; such loving memories written in a sensitive and visually inviting way.

'Tis sad when we lose dear people like that.