An Unexpected Connection

After I choose my colors each week, I start by researching what that Crayola crayon looks like. I then think all around the name for ideas, pulling images from my photos or online for inspiration.

When I finally start to write, I believe I know the direction my writing will take me. Then, suddenly, my muse surprises me with a different idea, and I usually like it better.

Well, this week I chose the colors:

• Denim

• Blush

• Gold

They showed me they had something unexpected in common—my beautiful mother.

My mother, Nancy- a professional model at eighteen.

Blush

My mother had a keen sense of fashion and was always coordinated and polished. An outfit was never complete without the final accent—peach lipstick. She and my Dad often dressed up to go out on Friday nights for business or to play bridge. My favorite memories are of the days my mom dressed like a Barbie doll in her gowns, fancy makeup, and hair, of course.

When she passed away five years ago, two of the things I kept—meaningless to anyone else—were her peach lipsticks and a nearly empty bottle of Jontue perfume. I like picking them up these days, knowing her fingers touched them.

My mother's Jontue and two used lipsticks. Somehow it makes her feel close:)

After you read the "BLUSH" poem below, you'll understand why these overused lipsticks are kept on my bathroom cabinet shelf and evoke such a precious memory for me.

Denim

Denim immediately brought me back to Junior High School in Illinois. My mother liked having me dress up for school, which meant a dress or top and skirt. With my long legs, I was VERY self-conscious. I wanted to fit in so badly, but my height, along with the dresses, made me stand out in an uncomfortable way. I still remember the feeling when my mom gave me permission to wear jeans to school. Yes, they were a bit short, but I didn't care.

For DENIM, I decided to try a poetic form introduced to me on a recent Poetry Friday by Alan J. Wright—a CHOKA poem. As with other Japanese poetic forms, the CHOKA does not typically rhyme or have rules on length.

It follows these guidelines:

• Five syllables in the odd-numbered lines (line one, three, five, etc.)

• Seven syllables in the even-numbered lines (line two, four, six, etc.)

• Finishes with two consecutive seven-syllable lines

Gold

When I thought of the color GOLD, this memory popped up. Settling your parents' estate and going through a lifetime of memories and stuff is one of the most difficult things about losing a parent. As hard as it was to divvy up her jewelry with my siblings, I am happy I have a few precious pieces, as they make my mother feel near every time I wear them.

One of my favorite things to do on Poetry Friday to relax is to click through the Poetry Friday links and enjoy their beautiful, varied poems and stories. Highly recommend. Thanks to Karen Edmisten for hosting Poetry Friday Round-up this week. Be sure to visit her blog to enjoy a charcuterie platter of prose and rhyme. Delicious! Karen's poem "One Way to Live" brought me to tears and shines light on the emotions we're feeling these days. Poetry is amazing like that.