Where Children Live
Where Children Live
Homes where children live exude a pleasant rumpledness,
like a bed made by a child, or a yard littered with balloons.
To be a child again one would need to shed details
till the heart found itself dressed in the coat with a hood.
Now the heart has taken on gloves and mufflers,
the heart never goes outside to find something to do.
And the house takes on a new face, dignified.
No lost shoes blooming under bushes.
No chipped trucks in the drive.
Grown-ups like swings, leafy plants, slow-motion back and forth.
While the yard of a child is strewn with the corpses
of bottle-rockets and whistles,
anything whizzing and spectacular, brilliantly short-lived.
Trees in children's yards speak in clearer tongues.
Ants have more hope. Squirrels dance as well as hide.
The fence has a reason to be there, so children can go in and out.
Even when the children are at school, the yards glow
with the leftovers of their affection,
the roots of the tiniest grasses curl toward one another
like secret smiles.
~ Naomi Shihab Nye
Linked to Meri’s Musings “Share the Joy Thursdays”
About the Photographer:
Alfred loves to travel and photograph.
He hails from Austria.
You may find more of his amazing photographic captures on 500px|Alfred Pleyer
According to Alfred the following is true: Yes and i am living without a cat...
Belongs to group.as
involved in
Public Circles Project
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there is such tenderness here for the enchantment of childhood. i am thinking of small dolls i dressed in leaves and flowers, blankets and pillows transformed into exotic tents on wild adventures. the first shooting star, wishes on milkweed, when time seemed to lull on forever, being small enough to be carried in the arms of my father, the great pure light in the eyes of all who live content in the house of belonging.
ReplyDeletethank you noelle for once again filling me with deep contentment and beauty, you are so gifted in reflecting love.
To me this line says it all!!
ReplyDelete"the roots of the tiniest grasses curl toward one anotherlike secret smiles."~ Naomi Shihab Nye
These lines describe the photograph so well!!Now I cannot decide which is better!! Alfred Plyer is an amazing photographer to have captured that moment and he does complete justice to the wonderful poet Naomi Shihab Nye's words, and imagine they did not even work together!!Kudos to you for having combined the two together excellently!! Love the secret smiles that the child and mother are sharing, simply marvelous!!
The mothers grip on her child and the child's hug enhances the simple words " curl toward one another" Noelle your thoughts and ideas are so stunning!! With love and good wishes Nanka
Wonderful!!! Wishing you well! Cathy
ReplyDeleteAh - so apparent Naomi is the mother of a son. No doll parts litter her yard. But as always, your "finds" touch something in me.
ReplyDeleteAh, she has a daughter too, but you are right, she is the mother of a son. She is a Palestinian American poet and one of my favorites :)
ReplyDelete