I recall two special people every April,
like a pair of sad-eyed jacks –
Abraham Lincoln
and my friend, Mary.
I dream of Lincoln sometimes,
a long voice burning in my head brighter than any bullet.
And my friend Mary.
I met Mary many, many years ago.
She always wore silver hair and a smile
and sipped tea from bone-colored porcelain ware.
That’s what I remember.
Her invitations to tea.
Her framed mantle photos.
Mary’s stories lived in the folds of her face.
Her most prized story floated
in the crinkled waves around her ocean eyes.
While my clumsy fingers fumbled through the handle
of a delicate porcelain tea cup.
Mary told me ‘the’ story at our very first tea,
1912
A young man and his childhood friend were to travel to another country. They planned to find dearest loves and build dream homes. When the auspicious morning arrived, the young man’s travel companion was nowhere in sight. With no appearance by his friend, the young man made a difficult choice. He watched the steamship sally forth toward the horizon and away from him. Gravely disappointed was he to miss the once-in-a-lifetime, maiden voyage of the luxurious RMS Titanic. The young man did eventually meet Mary. And they fell in love. They had ten children. Their children had forty-eight children.
Mary is gone now.
Has been for quite sometime.
But there is always this week in April,
I fondly remember
Abraham Lincoln
and my sweet, departed friend Mary.
Shortly before midnight of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg, at 2:20 am the ship went below the water.
Abraham Lincoln – born February 12, 1809, died April 15, 1865
Dark Nana acrylic on illustration board done many, many years ago before I required eyeglasses.
anntogether 
Mary?? THat looks like Nana : )
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bingo, little sister xo
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AM, good morning! Such an exquisite portrait of two VIPs in your life. It’s obvious to see how important Mary was to you, such a great friend. I’m very sorry for her passing, that you can’t sit and drink tea, and talk, anymore. I’m sorry for your loss. And I love the descriptions (that “bone-colored porcelain ware” and “crinkled waves around her ocean eyes” — gorgeous). Of course, I’m in awe of your art (always). Your Nana’s expression shows great warmth, kindness.
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Morning Deb.
Mary was a sweet lady who I met returning her wallet. My old G Shepherd, Chama found Mary’s wallet while we were on our daily walk.
Nana’s portrait is not representative of how she was in life. For some reason, I developed an old roll of 35mm film – years back – and Nana who’d been gone several years by then was on the roll. It put me in a weird place and the painting happened.
Have a wonderful word-inspired Wednesday.
am (still little letters 😉 )
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Ah, doing a good deed begets goodness and friendship. A couple of years ago Bob and I were parking to go into Starbucks (imagine that) and I looked down and saw a woman’s wallet next to a Mercedes Benz. Well, we took it home and called the lady and she came and got it — a very sweet woman — and a few days later, in the mail, we received a $20 gift certificate to Starbucks. Now, whenever I see that woman’s car in the parking lot (she works at the mall) I’m always making sure she hasn’t dropped her wallet, 🙂
“Weird place,” “painting happened” — that’s inspiration, eh?
dslhbs
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I would never have noticed the wallet, Chama stopped and sniffed it out – that old beautiful girl really deserved the pleasure of Mary’s company.
So you found coffee on a parking lot, did you 🙂 I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled 😉
Very kind of you to return a wallet near a Mercedes – I’m might not have been as sympathetic. 😉
I’m not even going to speculate on the sig today – I’ve just spent the morning escorting kids to the bathroom and I ain’t feelin’ too brilliant 😉
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I’d have had Presbyterian guilt (which is a kind of ‘liberal guilt’) if I’d kept the wallet. Sig is gibberish, not to worry. 🙂 The important thing is: Did the kids make it to the restroom on time? Because if not, well …. 🙂
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I fly as no other through institutional hallways! No child was left behind 😉
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Hello sweet girl…did I know Mary?…the story is very familiar…love you, Mom
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She lived up the road a piece, by the old house in the woods. You never met her but I’d told you her story years back.
It’s such a cool story – I love it.
See you this weekend xoxo
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