Below is a narrative poem that I wrote many years ago
in which I used the American Civil War as its theme.
in which I used the American Civil War as its theme.
A nine-patch quilt, hand-quilted by me
Two Tiny, Nine-Patch Doll Quilts
(An American Civil War Tale)
A tiny, nine-patch doll quilt
lay upon a tiny bed
made especially for Maggie Mae
the year her family fled
from all those scornful Yankees,
who were running through their town
setting homes and lives afire
causing Southern hopes to drown.
A tiny, nine-patch doll quilt
lay upon a tiny crib
made especially for Eleanor
the summer when her nib
was loosened from her pen in hand
as the Rebels fired loud
and soon her family huddled in fear
with the other Gettysburg crowd.
Two tiny, nine-patch doll quilts
heard two tiny prayers say,
“Dear Lord, please let our battled lands
be placed within Your peaceful stay,
and help our families change their hate
to Blessings filled with love.
Then, all of us will recognize
Your Blessings from above.”
Two tattered, nine-patch doll quilts
lie in honorable view,
for each is cherished dearly
by descendants of the two
who saw their lives so clearly
pass through war’s destructive side,
for one hundred years of prayer brought
a Rebel son his Yankee bride.
© Jeanne I. Lakatos
What a great poem! I think this holds the seeds of a novel.
ReplyDeleteIs there ANYTHING you can't do?? Great storytelling, and I agree with Dana.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Isabel!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dana! hmmm... Now you have me thinking... I have been to Gettysburg so many times and lived in Atlanta, too. The spirits speak to me.
Thank you, Karen. There are many things I can't do. One is to choose the winning Lotto numbers. :)
nice...i like this a lot...some fine story telling in there...i second the plea for a longer piece...
ReplyDeletei used to live 30 minutes south of gettysburg....
Thank you, Brian. Guess I'm going to explore this poem further. Hagerstown, by any chance?
ReplyDeleteLovely quilt.. and nice story too~
ReplyDeleteSure, write it longer :-)
Thanks, Heaven.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, to tell the story from the viewpoint of the children's quilts. brilliant and also thought provoking. thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie. This poem was inspired after I had viewed a small antique quilt, one made for a child's doll. I wondered what the child experienced and how that quilt ended up in the exhibit.
ReplyDeleteAnd she does quilts too! What a woman!
ReplyDeletePete (Blogger acting up)
Easy there, Pete. btw, how's the weather there in Ireland?
ReplyDeleteThat final line makes the whole thing sing. Don't you just love it when the Muse drops a gem like that in your lap?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris. Yes, that generous Muse! :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic! A future borne of conflict and hate but hopeful and loving.
ReplyDelete