When I was four my
beloved Grandma
Brought me a cloak and purse
From Damascus.
Soft black velvet,
with swirls of gold braid
in patterns as intricate
as the tree of life,
as rich and bright as stars.
The cloak draped over
my shoulder
and fell to my knees.
In my cloak of stars
I paraded about proudly
Twirling the matching
Drawstring purse
Commanding the
Kingdom of dandelions
In my front yard
.
Last week I found the cloak
In a drawer,
carefully wrapped
In tissue paper
and memories
I sent a photo to my friend
Who lives in the velvet
darkness of Damascus nights.
Her nights
Now streaked with silver missles
Instead of stars,
I put on the cloak for both of us.
Covered with my grandma’s love.
In our hearts
we walk together freely,
The golden braid
matching golden lights
In days and nights of peace
We hope will come.
© 2019, Joan Leotta
JOAN LEOTTA plays with words on page and stage. Her essays, articles, books, and poems have been published in US and UK and elsewhere–The Ekphrastic Review, A-3 Review, skirt, Sasee, The Lake, Tiger (winner of one month’s contest), Pine Song, and many others. She performs folk and personal tales of food ,family, nature, and strong women at festivals, in schools, libraries, and museums. She is developing a one-woman show based on Louisa May Alcott’s time as a Civil War nurse. When not at computer or treading the boards, she can often be found walking the beach hunting for seashells.
The BeZine 