Kim Klugh’s poem Apricot Harvest appeared here as part of Contributor Series 8: Feast and Famine. Kim uses beautiful imagery in her poetry as this poem demonstrates.
Go Gently
By Kim Klugh
By Kim Klugh
She’s weary, worn out, a bit wounded
her dreams shriveled at this late hour
like yesterday’s newspaper
now lining some song bird’s cage
she’s but an old headline
with nothing much left to say
Her calendar of seasons is spent
spring’s mud-tracked days–
barely remembered
and gone are summer’s fireflies
signaling the hour
gone too, the raucous chirping
of sparrows in the garden
and autumn’s jaunty jack-o-lanterns
have all caved in among themselves
now winter’s fierceness stalks
the days of cold December
We listen as with labored breath
she asks to be remembered
and we make the most of sharing
the old year’s final toast,
by enfolding her sundry memories
among the layers of our own
We lay her out
bidding her safe passage
to the other side
and in that remaining moment
just before we latch the door,
with a final glance behind us,
we see she’s already a shadow dancing,
across the well worn floor.
This beautiful poem grabbed my heart and made me appreciate what it would have been like to have the opportunity to say goodbye my mother.
Touching and poignant.
“like yesterday’s newspaper, now lining some songbird’s cage” ….wow, that is exquisite imagery. Loved this poem, and wow, what an ending!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this lovely poem.