Poets’ Corner: Rosemerry Gives Thanks – And Hope

23 Nov Poets’ Corner: Rosemerry Gives Thanks – And Hope

Thanksgiving is a story of traditions old and new, a day of  family, feasting, and football. And all that is good, but is it good enough? Shouldn’t Thanksgiving be about more than that? One poem by Word Woman Rosemerry Trommer puts the “thanks” back in Thanksgiving. The other: a post-election reminder, “  Letter to Our Children,” that when giving thanks, we all need to hold hands.

Thanksgiving 

Today again

this longing

to pour joy

into your glass.

I can see you

are so thirsty.

The pitcher

never runs dry,

but sometimes,

distracted,

we forget to drink,

forget to pour

for ourselves

and for each other.

Here.

Though perhaps

we are strangers,

let me fill

your glass,

as others have

filled mine.

There is someone

who desperately

hopes you

will take a sip,

someone who needs

you to pour joy

into their empty cup.

Don’t worry

that it’s too late.

We all forget

how it works.

And then it arrives

again, the invitation

to pour and pour,

and pour, only to find

the pitcher still

miraculously full,

again this chance

to know what

it feels like to share

this bottomless joy.

AND…

Letter to Our Children

These, too, are your family,

any who whirl slurs,

any who would build a wall,

any who would throw a stone.

The other is your sister,

your brother, your mother.

Pick up any stones

that have been thrown

and build fire circles

where everyone’s voice

can be heard.

Tear down the walls

and use the debris

to build bridges.

Tattoo these words

on your hands,

on your tongue:

we are all in this

together.