The Lovely Things
A little money was put aside
now and then. Not for children
or wife or the future. Just for me.
My goal was to pool enough to
purchase a costly watch, the kind
you buy once and wear until you
die then pass to one who lives on.
This extravagance would be far
beyond what may have rounded
the wrists of the dairy farmers and
mill workers in my family’s tree.
As expected their voices spoke loud
like the disciples who felt the alabaster
could be sold for much and given
to the poor. But then another voice,
my mother’s, spoke and shushed them.
“Stop bothering him for pete’s sake.
He is my beloved son, and our lives
pass much too fast. A few lovely things
should mark our mortal time.”
When we were purchasing our beach house, I went through so much guilt/rumination. Of course we would share it with others needing respite, etc., but still. Finally, I sat down with one of our pastors for a session, because I just could not get over myself.
He said, “If you think I’m going to tell you not to get a beach house, you’re mistaken. Be generous with what you have, of course, but some of my family’s best bonding moments were when we were away as a family. Your husband (nonbeliever) wants to do this. The best thing you can do is support him.”
Of course, the market crashed right after we bought it, and we eventually had to rent it out, but man. The times we had there. I’ve cherished them all. Should’a just listened for your mother’s voice and got on with it.
Thanks, Gretchen. Most of time, Mama knows, huh?
Lovely, lovely. (She says contemplating the Tiffany necklace from her mother, which was given her mother by her father for their 50th anniversary. So glad he was impractical.)
The beautiful things of earth, Beth.
Loving this … We all need such mothers, don’t we?
We do, Ruth…we sure do.
Loving Ruth’s comment! I had such a mother and love being that kind of mother!
So glad you did and are, Gwen!
This is wonderful.
Thanks, Jason!
LOVE this so, so much. And I love your mama’s voice. Thank you. This even made my bruises feel better. 🙂
Diana, interestingly enough, the poem started out with my father’s voice in that spot, but upon revision, rose to my mother’s pitch:)
Thank you. For my 50th birthday several years ago, I purchased a pair of truly remarkable, and remarkably expensive, loudspeakers. By any estimation an extravagance of questionable justification. But to sit before them, lights turned down, while John Coltrane exhorts with “A Love Supreme,” or a single voice in a cathedral sings Hildegard von Bingen, or the Wailin’ Jennys invoke the harmony of the heavens…. One can too easily become to enamored of material things, but sometimes they transport and transcend.
BTW, this is my first post here. I found your blog via Rachel Held Evans, and I always look forward to your poems and posts.
Jim, first off, welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I love what you wrote, and fully agree! But you gotta tell me, what kind of speakers did you get?
Joseph Audio Pulsar (http://www.josephaudio.com/pulsar/). I recommend caution in asking an audiophile about his gear: we tend to drone on and on about it. Thanks for asking.
Jim, I grew up near Hope, Ark so I thought you might have gone in a Klipsch direction. But I was not aware of the Pulsars…man, they’re beautiful!
Love this. Love love love this.
Thank you, Corinne. And thank you for reblogging, really, thank you.
Reblogged this on Corinne Harvey Causby and commented:
This is one of my favorite pieces John Blaise has written. If you haven’t read his work yet, take a minute (or 30, or 60) to sit down and read his work. It’s one of the lovely things in my life.