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Seasons Press (or Portrait of a Son's Life)
by Alison McKenzieI walk my son’s rescue-dog
Through his quiet neighborhood
Near the pacific ocean.
Quaint beach houses that
Overlook the bay
Tell somber little stories
Of the lives going on inside.
I welcome the opportunity to help
Feed my grandson,
Teach him finger food,
Make sure he is dry and clean,
Play into his giggling
Toss him joy-high,
Bounce him right into
A little boy’s heaven,
Then army-style crawl with him,
Earthbound again,
Sway-rock him to blissful dreaming
In Nanna-Banana embrace.
I regard my daughter-in-law’s
Tender and loving heart
As she sinks her teeth
Into her 21st century mothering,
Heading off to work at the crack of dawn
To earn her share of the bacon
And then admire her
As she fries it up for a late supper too.
I incline my head toward my son’s soul,
Luminous young wisdom glisten,
Just glisten,
Into hopes of happy tomorrows.
He invites me
Along with his great-grandma
To come and live
With his wife, his children
Born and yet to come
In his home
Near the gorgeous pacific ocean
I wash the dishes
Momentarily nurturing his life again
From another angle,
I, merely content to contribute
As my seasons press me.
07/05/2009 Author's Note: What a wondrous weekend!
Posted on 07/05/2009
Copyright © 2025 Alison McKenzie
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by A. Paige White on 07/05/09 at 05:08 PM Our families are wonder bearers, aren't they? You pressed all the beauty of it into your paintbrush on the gorgeous portrait, Ali. What beauty you reflect in these lines! |
| Posted by Olivia Martin on 07/05/09 at 05:10 PM Sounds like quite the insightful weekend -- and beautifully reminisced here in your poem -- thank you for sharing this brief glimpse of absolute wonder. |
| Posted by Glenn Currier on 07/06/09 at 02:47 AM I sit all mushy and misty-eyed and grateful for his and your Nana Banana joy. What a wonderful and masterfully written story and what a lucky little boy to have a nana who'll crawl with him army-style. This is a delight. Thank you for taking time to poem the experience and to share it with us. |
| Posted by Melissa Panther on 07/06/09 at 08:44 PM This piece is just beyond lovely and heart warming...and oh yes, that beautiful pacific ocean for that there are no words. |
| Posted by Brian Francis on 07/09/09 at 01:47 AM Family yes that is what it is all about! Well said and demonstrated. Enjoy your walks near the ocean. I certainly have enjoyed your sharing of them. Well done. --bf |
| Posted by Laurie Blum on 07/10/09 at 12:48 PM This is just beautiful. I can feel the warmth in your heart all the way across the country! |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 07/11/09 at 12:35 AM I can smell the salt air, feel the fog of the ocean. I loved your sharing this time with your son's family. It is just cram packed with family bonding and the desire for continuity. Thank you! |
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