Writing the roads of grief

Photo to accompany Mother’s Day Book Spine Poem 2013

triciabertram — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:44:02 +0000

Mother’s Day Book Spine Poem

triciabertram — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:15:52 +0000

This years Mother’s Day Book Spine Poem – for the motherless child and the childless mother.(for some reason I can’t get the photo to print. I’ll try it as a stand alone entry.)

Heartbroken Open
Layers of Silence
Latitudes of Melt

Tricia 2013

Son and Sky

triciabertram — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:07:57 +0000

Son and Sky

Laughter back in her life

Interesting projects

Meaning and purpose abound

And yet

Three sleepless nights this week

It would appear her body

Is aware

The black stallion of Mother’s Day

Is galloping toward her

Hooves pounding the tempo

Requiem for a Dead Child

Fourteen years since

Her so sad son

Laid down the intolerable burden

His life had become

Her childless mother lesions

Ache

With familial longing

As she sits in the dark

Waiting for dawn

Slowly it comes

Swathes of colour

Join together

‘Till the sky is a breathtaking blaze

Her atheistic heart

Longs for a moment

To see her artist son’s hand

Painting this gift of morning skies

But what was

Can never be again

The yin of grief settles

Beside the yang of love

It is enough for today

Tricia 5/2013

Loving Memories

triciabertram — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:11:14 +0000

Today, on the 67th anniversary of Rod’s birth, I’ve decided to share a personal email he sent me when I entered my first writing competition (He was away on a business trip at the time).
This email shows, more than any words I could write, what a wonderful, caring, supportive man he was.

“Darling

What a big step you have taken on the road to becoming your own person telling your story in your own voice.

I have been waiting a long time for you to gain the confidence that what you have to say is valid and relevant to a wider audience.

Reaching an audience is winning (although the kudos of a prize or two can’t hurt!!)

I am really looking forward to reading the finished piece.

One of your future pieces should be to use your wicked sense of humour and unique slant on things/life to bring some of the funny stories of your childhood to an audience.

Love and hugs”

In the words of Gladys Night and The Pips, You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Upcoming performances

triciabertram — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:21:20 +0000

Upcoming performances.

i’m looking forward to seeing this. Love performances that are ‘outside the square’.

Filtered Dawn: Beauty is sometimes distorted by life.

triciabertram — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:24:54 +0000

Lapsing

triciabertram — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:54:03 +0000

Lapsing

Lapsing has been a theme in my life

Lapsed catholic in the religion box

Eventually accepted as life choice

Several lapses

Before I stopped polluting lungs and life with nicotine

Then came lapses beyond my control

These days memory lapses plague me

Thoughts there one minute

Gone the next

And the words

I know these wonderful luscious vibrant words

Yet they dance just out of reach

Mocked and tantalized by circumstance

No longer searching for the meaning of life

Just the answer to one question

Are my memory lapses menopausal meanderings

Or the first rung

On the diving board into dementia?

Tricia 5/07

My favourite new bookends.

triciabertram — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:23:51 +0000

The Pangaea Prize

triciabertram — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 04:25:53 +0000

The Pangaea Prize.

thepoet’sbillow is a wordpress site that some of you may be interested in. You have until May 2013 if you want to enter The Pangaea Prize. If you click on the blue highlited title of the competition you’ll find the details.

Work previously published on a blog, or any other medium is ineligible. I’m a bit sad about this because I would have liked to enter some of my health related poems. Guess I’ll just have to ‘push the boat out’ a bit further.

They actually ‘liked’ my latest poem Then and Now. For some reason I’m getting some new traffic stopping by my site. I’m not complaining, just intrigued.

As one of my mentors Bob Neimeyer says “Good words to you.”

Then and Now

triciabertram — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:16:04 +0000

Then and Now

Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the house

Memories danced

Slow waltz by Strauss

Parents quietly giggling

Frantic wrapping of gifts

Kissing and cuddling

Christmas Eve tryst

At a tinsel covered tree

Sat a 3 year old boy

Gazing not touching

Blue eyes sparkling with joy

His mother and father

Watched in delight

Worth every moment

Of their sleepless night

Awed by the gifts

Crowded under the tree

When the wrapping came off

Awe turned to glee

As the years rolled by

It became tradition to read

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Adult child – loving screed

Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the house

Memories were flooding

Absent child absent spouse

Tricia 12/2012