"Two wrongs may not make a right but a thousand wrongs make a writer.”

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Zen Of Repetition

Driving home from the hospital,
we say the rosary.
I forget a line in the Our Father
and mumble a replacement.
He finishes for me.
How could I forget
that which was memorized at the knee
of Sister Severe?
Swimming upstream in the wake of his narrative
I navigate the mysteries.
Is it the joyful or the
sorrowful we parley?
He stumbles on the words-
they fall into his handkerchief.
I finish for him.
The miles pass unnoticed
and the mysteries come to an end
but the road continues
and the day approaches
when there won’t be anyone left to finish
that which is forgotten.

16 comments:

Anthony Duce said...

Enjoyed seeing through the story, being included in the drive.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It's a small but sad little journey...

Yvonne Osborne said...

Tony,
Thanks so much.

Alex,
Thanks for commenting.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Wow, you always pack a lot in a few words, Yvonne. This one is haunting and stunning.
The imagery of words falling into his handkerchief is so powerful.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Tricia,
Thank you!!! Your enthusiasm is uplifting. Like a blast of warm air out of my heat register!:)

Suzanne Casamento said...

Wow. That's beautiful. The last couple lines really make you think...

Yvonne Osborne said...

Suzanne,
Thanks! I have to constantly remind myself to live in the present. The here and now. Thank you for commenting.

Enchanted Oak said...

I navigate the mysteries as well. Someone ~ my child?~ will remember the traditions in her own way, with her own twist. I have faith. We send out ripples in the pond, and sometimes don't know where they touch.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Enchanted,
Beautifully said. Thank you.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love the line about the words falling into the handkerchief - beautifully done!

Yvonne Osborne said...

Thanks Jemi! A handkerchief has many uses.

Wendy said...

Yvonne, this is lovely and poignant!

Unknown said...

Just wanted to pop by to say, thank you for leaving your condolences on my blog. Very kind of you.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Wendy,
Thank you and you're welcome. I was very sorry for your loss. Such a young man...

cd sutton said...

I am so used to rhymes, writing such as this really challenges me to think at another level. I really like this!

Yvonne Osborne said...

CD,
Gosh...thanks. I rather prefer the "soft" rhyme myself, the understated cadence. And some pieces flow better without any rhyme at all. Thank you so much for commenting!