LJ Idol Week #3: Alice's Herbs

[chasing_silver]

Braided sweetgrass, cedar leaves
Scent of sumac, blazing trees
The crunch of plants under her fist
She grumbles and rubs arthritic wrists.

Cat's claw for a coming cold
Digestion's soothed by ginger bold
Fennel leaves ease a stomachache
Dandelion increases circulation rate.

You were taken on an autumn day
She didn't wave, she looked away.
Her hands clenched, face grief-swollen
There is no herb for child stolen.

Arnica and mint cool your pain
When you slip after the rain
What about when pain's inside?
Can she reach you where you hide?

Overhead, sky's blue and white
Alice joined the ancestors last night.
You stroke her now-silver hair
In sleep, you hope she knows you're there.

Feathery sage in her nightstand drawer
Fallen petals sweep the dusty floor.
Tobacco placed upon her chest
Your picture tucked into her dress.

Years pass and knowledge fades
Life begins to seem a long charade.
Wife stops listening, your children blink
You forget the herbs and turn to drink.

Your granddaughter before you stands
Your fingers gnarled between her hands.
Whispers come from beyond the curtain
"Teach her of what you're most certain."

There are seven steps to skin a deer
There are thirteen moons to every year.
The Teachings offer paths to find
But only one is true; you must be kind.

Tell them their ways don't have to be yours
Tell them we open different doors.
We walk the same Earthly journey
And truth and love combine our story.

Plants that heal and plants that settle
Spicy rosemary, stinging nettle.
She honours your love and your pain
Her soothing words fall like rain.

Her fingers stained with herbal dyes --
And in her face, shine Alice's eyes.

Hear me read this poem here.

This has been an entry for therealljidol. The prompt this week was "Without you", and this poem is the true story of my great-grandmother Alice, who was an Ojibwe healer. She taught my grandfather everything she knew before she died, and endured the pain of having her grandson snatched from her by the government of Canada and forced into an Indian Day School. In turn, my grandfather taught me as much as he could before he, too, died. But he always told me I had my great-grandmother's eyes.

Thank you for reading and voting!

Comments

[greghousesgf]

I think your poem is fantastic

[chasing_silver]

Thank you friend!

[reidharriscooper]

I would love to hear you read this for the proper cadence, being someone who comes from a long history of performed poetry, but even without the words express the many pains of loss, yet power that loss doesn't always mean total loss as long as something has been left behind.

[chasing_silver]

I could try to record it, that's a good idea. Stay tuned!

[chasing_silver]

Recorded! It's included in the post now. Thank you for the suggestion!

[adoptedwriter]

This is beautiful. Is Alice someone you knew?

[chasing_silver]

I never knew her. She died in the 1970s, before I was born. But I heard a lot about her.

[xeena]

Such a beautiful tribute to both of them!

[chasing_silver]

Thank you!

[pixiebelle]

This is beautiful. Reading the poem and about how it’s a true story sent chills down my spine.

[chasing_silver]

Thank you! I wish I had known her ... she seemed amazing.

[fausts_dream]

Always loved your voice...but your writing and speaking voice, so nice to have them together.

This is fabulous, as expected.

[chasing_silver]

Thank you, Fully. <3 I am glad I recorded it!

[drippedonpaper]

That last bit is just so beautiful, that you have her eyes.

You love so many lines "their ways don't have to yours / ...open different doors."

There is so much wisdom and love for all of us to learn in your poem.

[chasing_silver]

Thank you! I definitely feel like I was given such great gifts by my Indigenous family members.

[mollywheezy]

This is so beautiful!!!

[chasing_silver]

Thank you!

[erulissedances]

Oh, I loved this SO much.

- Erulisse (one L)

[chasing_silver]

Thank you so much <3 I enjoyed writing it.

[ndrosen]

Thank you for sharing an exceptionally impressive poem.

[chasing_silver]

Thank you for reading it!

[muchtooarrogant]

I loved this, especially the way the poem spanned multiple generations and told an entire story in just a few well chosen lines.

Something about this line made me smile, "Dandelion increases circulation rate."

It was great hearing you read the poem as well, thanks so much for linking to that.

Dan

[chasing_silver]

Thank you Dan! I always love your comments. You are so thoughtful and encouraging.

[halfshellvenus]

This is a lovely tribute to your great-grandmother's legacy!

[chasing_silver]

Thank you! I wish I had known her!

[night_owl_9]

I love the evocative imagery throughout!

[chasing_silver]

Thank you!

[roina_arwen]

It’s fun learning a bit about the different herbs along with the story of your family.

[chasing_silver]

It is really interesting knowledge for sure!

[n3m3sis43]

What a beautiful tribute to your ancestor! I love that you also shared a recording of you reading it.

[chasing_silver]

That was a great suggestion by another Idoler! Thank you for reading it!

[rayaso]

What a wonderful poem! Rhymed poetry is hard to write, but it can force the poet to fascinating language for the sake of maintaining the rhyme. The subject matter is perfect for the prompt. Great work!

[chasing_silver]

Thank you so much! I do love a rhyming poem, it's like a song.

[kizzy]

Oh Liz, this is gorgeous! I love how you weave the herbs/ailments to Alice's bigger pain. I remember you talking about this at some point, maybe regarding your grandfather? The fact that you made everything rhyme without that tick-tock cadence is even more gorgeous :)

[chasing_silver]

Yes, it was his grandmother, and he idolized her. She was like a mother to him <3 Thank you!

[ragnarok_08]

The poem is just fantastic :)

[murielle]

Wonderful! And so full of herbal remedies. Always trying to learn, so much to learn.

Thank you for sharing your truth with us. ❤

[chasing_silver]

Thank you so much! <3

[oxymoron67]

This was well-written.

I've said it elsewhere, but it's worth repeating: I envy poets. My mind doesn't work that way.

[alycewilson]

What a thoughtful and detail-filled way to remember a relative. You honor her memory.

[shirebound]

I'm just discovering this poem, and wanted to tell you how utterly moving and lovely it is.

[chasing_silver]

Thank you for friending me! I meant to friend you for years, because I know what a good friend of elwendell and febobe's you are, and they are/were people I adore with my whole heart. Thank you for reading this!

[shirebound]

I apologize that there's not much to see in my journal recently since I've been having so many hand/wrist issues, but I look forward to getting to know you.

febobe... *sigh* She was very special.