An Open Letter to Patricia Smith
This, thought not written for today’s Meme Express prompt, ended up fitting in with the prompt’s theme, “forgetfulness” – a nice instance of coincidence…or did I pick up on something universal in the air? I don’t know. This triple sonnet was namely written as a poetic reaction to Patricia Smith’s poem, “Building Nicole’s Mama”.
————————————————-
My name is Nicole. I am not the same
rusty-kneed little girl with braid ends sealed
by fire who asked you how to reclaim
her dead mother through words, how to reveal
her shining little girl memories of
the woman before junk rotted her
away from the inside out, how to shove
the pain out of her little heart and turn
it into a poetic scream – but I
have the same need: I want to remake,
reconstruct my father through words, and I
can do it now, thanks to you. I’m awake,
and I am here, and I will not wait for
someone else to rebuild him anymore.
I cannot ignore my early teachers:
Langston taught me how words are beautiful,
bountiful building blocks with features
of our own souls. Maya gave me vital
knowledge of rhythm and rhyme, and taught me
how to beat poetically in time
with one of myriad rhythms in the
ample, open, cosmos. Poe taught nighttime
and darkness to me, and how to embrace
them as I would embrace light. I cannot
ignore my songwriter teachers – their place
in my lessons are unique. Reznor taught
me the language of screams, and Stipe taught me
the language of lyrical mystery.
But Ms. Smith, you helped me remember what
I wanted to reconstruct most – my dad:
his smokestack and seaside Jersey laugh, the
way he could rip apart an engine, add
more spare parts, and rebuild it into a
work of art; the blacks, grays, and purples that
he penciled his whole wardrobe in; and the
good times with him, before the darkness that
overshadowed our family, before he went
away forever. I can reconstruct
him and never lose him again, cement
him in words that will never die, destruct,
or fade away. Thank you, Ms. Smith; I can
now rebuild the memory of a man.
Written 7/2/08
© 2008 Nicole Nicholson. All Rights Reserved.
damn
If that’s a compliment, then thank you …*blush*
Thanks for stopping by.
-Nicole
it was