We sit on the kitchen floor, she facing me, knees pressed against my belly, forehead pressed against mine, fingering the links of the chain.
She pulls her head back to see the length, metal pieces grabbing hold one after again, these ovals laced around my neck like mother teachings.
One after another after another, on and on
and on.
She takes the necklace gently over my head and through my hair.
“Don’t even look,” she says.
“I won’t.”
On the floor she forms a heart,
a turtle,
a starfish,
an “M” for Mama,
the first letters of each family name.
It’s a square, she says smoothing the shape with the tips of her fingers,
a mountain,
a christmas tree — jingle, jingle.
She runs upstairs with the chain and plays peek-a-boo and school with Lambie and monkey Charles.
“Don’t look, Charles,” she says.
“What shape is it now?”
“Does it look like a picture frame?”
“Yes, Charles, it does look like a picture frame.”
She wraps Lambie ’round and ’round the necklace until I can’t see it. Runs pink ribbon through the links.
Has me cover my eyes before the next big reveal.
I am thinking about the little girl who sang “Pretty pretty pretty” around my knees at school last week, and when I looked down she was pointing to me and my necklace that matches my sister’s,
that danced
inside,
outside
the neck of my shirt.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A cross,” I told her.
“It’s broken,” she said.
And I wanted to tell her it meant broken and whole at once.
But I didn’t. There were too many voices, and I
couldn’t find mine right then.
Now I am watching Lala,
and she is so happy with this jingling metal in her hand
that lay close to her mama’s heart,
and she the teacher,
and her round face peeks through the
frame.
An incredibly gorgeous soulful writer, Amber at The Runamuck, is leading an exploration of voice in writing. This week’s began with the prompt (you may have guessed) “the necklace.”
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
Baby mama moments like these lost, unless we count them. I love that you count them … And I love how.
I am so blessed in the counting. Thank you, Mama.
Enjoyed your post on the necklace. You painted a lovely picture with your words. It’s fun to see what comes to the mind with the simple prompt of one word.
Thank you so much, Shelly. I love word prompts…and to see how different writers follow their leading.
always pure joy appreciating your writing skills, your command and flow of the language, your ability to bring such vivid life to words
Thank you for your words, Papa — I treasure them. It sure is good for my heart to write it down. As I may have said before, I feel thankful that I get to live the moment twice. :-)
Love it here, Thanks for allowing me to visit. I think I’ll be back since I just “followed” you. This is beautiful writing. Just lovely and so rich. I look forward to Amber’s next prompt, do you?
Thank you for visiting — please make yourself comfortable and stay awhile. :-) I so enjoyed seeing where the prompt lead you this morning, too. (I’ve got some ideas brewing on the next one already.) Blessings to you on the journey. I look forward to “following” you, too.
Cannot wait for the next one. Great getting to know you a little more each day. Grace in your writing…..Look forward to more words. Thank you for the follow, new friend.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. Glad to get to know you, too — here and at “your house.” :-)
Beautiful, simple moments captured simply by you having your heart wide open and then sharing it with us!
Thank you, Sissy. I love your heart.
Good grief. This…”these ovals laced around my neck like mother teachings”. Excited to have found you and to follow you!
Thank you, Melissa. I appreciate your comment. So you know about those ovals, too?
nice
Thanks, Ronn. :-)
I love that see beauty wherever you look. And you create beauty in and through your words. Also pleased that you ‘know’ Amber. She’s a gem.
Thank you so much, Fiona. Amber has been an inspiration for me for years — long before I started my own blog. It was a joy to link up there. Beauty is everywhere, isn’t it? So sad how much of it I miss when I don’t slow the heck down. That’s one reason writing is so good for me. I’ve got to slow down, or it’s hard to make contact with the keyboard. :-)
delightful!…the moments strung together, like the necklace, and your words.
I’m linking up to follow you as well.
Kim, I’m so glad you’ve come, and thank you for your comment! I look forward to “seeing” you again. :-)
Lovely word pictures.
Thank you, Brandee.
I love this so much Ashley. Thank you! Are you on the twitters, by the way? Be my “friend” if you are – @AmberCHaines.
Thank you, Amber. I truly appreciate your words here and on your beautiful pages. They’ve moved me for years. I am not on Twitter yet, but I keep thinking maybe I should be. I’ll get on that, and then we can be friends. :-)
Beautiful! The imagery is just succulent. Can’t wait to read more!
Thanks so much, M!