Her Rucksack


from the ABC set Silver Spun Sand Poems

When we give you this,
we’ll throw in, as well,
Niagara Falls...
the Rocky Mountains
with their shawl
of Bristlecone Pines...
a dozen or so
grazing, Bighorn Sheep.

You may as well have, too,
the Long Son Pagoda –
complete with dragons
breathing fire...
the Sapa Valley
with its crooked seams
of rice fields...

its Sunday night market,
where wide-eyed
kids ran rings around
the English lady
with hair
the colour of straw...
who wanted you
to have this...
to take her places
she never saw.

Discuss this piece in the abctales forum


Comments

jennifer | April 4, 2011 - 20:56

Oh, the ache of longing to travel has just unravelled in my heart!

J x

Silver Spun Sand | April 4, 2011 - 21:07

Thanks for reading, Jennifer.

My granddaughter too has that ache...as did my daughter.

Tina

seashore | April 4, 2011 - 21:23

This is great, Tina - heartfelt.

skinner_jennifer | April 4, 2011 - 21:37

Oh to be young again, with the freedom to go where
you want with the spirit of adventure. I read all
this in your poem Tina. Really brought back the
memories.

Jenny.

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 06:57

Many thanks, Coral.

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 06:57

Much appreciated, Jenny.

Tina

fatboy74 | April 5, 2011 - 07:48

Wonderful and original poem - love this Tina. :-)

maggyvaneijk | April 5, 2011 - 08:03

beautiful, it's so subtle but still says just enough the pull at my heart strings, I could read it over and over again

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 11:46

Thanks, so very much, fb;-)

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 11:47

Appreciate your words, maggy;-) Thank you.

Tina

littleditty | April 5, 2011 - 13:32

the younguns out on their travels -'it's a wonderful world' -very touching poem tina xx

barryj1 | April 5, 2011 - 14:56

This is the sort of poem you read slowly or, if you make the mistake as I did of starting out too fast, you go back to the top of the page and read with leisurely deliberation so as not to miss what's there. Great writing!

Kilb50 | April 5, 2011 - 14:59

Really enjoyed this!

ScoZen | April 5, 2011 - 16:33

Sand Lady, hello.
Delightful and sad.

"...its Sunday night market,where wide-eyed kids ran rings around the English lady..."

Were you sprinkling silver sand and tears in exchange for rice in Sappa Valley?

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 16:43

Ta, ld;-)xx

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 16:43

Pleased you enjoyed, barry and I really appreciate your lovely comment;-)

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 16:44

Great, Kib! Many, many thanks;-)

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 16:46

And hi to you! I may very well have been, ScoZen.

Such a beautiful image you created with your words. Thank you;-)

Sand Lady

Highhat | April 5, 2011 - 16:57

You took us all for a journey here and we saw what she may never have seen!!!
;)Pia

Silver Spun Sand | April 5, 2011 - 18:08

Pia - what a lovely way to put it. You are so very right...and one of the first trips she will be taken on, is to the wilds of Dartmoor this summer, when her granddaughter, Ashley, attempts her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Medal Award. She is hoping that her Auntie Andrea will bring her good luck. I shall let you know if she does indeed smile down on her, and in the meantime, keep my fingers crossed;-)

Many thanks again for your kind and thoughtful words.

Tina

shoe | April 5, 2011 - 18:55

I was just going to say this is a lovely poem, but your last comment makes it so much more than that. A gem.

Highhat | April 5, 2011 - 19:22

I'm sure Auntie Andrea is the best good luck charm but I have oddles of time so I will cross my fingers too.
atb
;)Pia

ScoZen | April 5, 2011 - 19:24

Sand Lady.
A quick note re your reply to Pia.
re young Ashley on her Gold medal award.
Tell her I shall donate a contribution to the Sue Ryder Hospice in memory of her auntie Andrea.
I live nearby so I will be watching from Haytor.
Regards.

Dark Fox | April 5, 2011 - 20:42

hello,
I never did Duke of Edinburgh awards. This poem makes me wish I did. The thrill of travel should be in everyone's veins but as is often the case, people get worried like I did.

This is a great peom again. You are always a great and inspiring writer.

Dark Fox

rjnewlyn | April 5, 2011 - 22:18

Well Dartmoor is a very good starting point - if I could write poetry I'd probably stick to that place, for all the Rockies and Sapa Valleys. But it was good to be carried along with your dreams. 'The call of faraway places' as Edgar Reitz's Heimat puts it (I think).

Rob

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 09:19

Shoe, really pleased you thought so;-) Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 10:37

Pia - yes, I don't think there could be a better one, indeed, but keep those fingers tightly crossed, and I'll let you know how she gets on;-) Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 10:50

Well hello there, ScoZen,

What a wonderful area to live. You are very lucky, and so I guess if you are into rock-climbing that day, Haytor would give you a better view than anywhere.

I shall let you know, most certainly, when she will be on Dartmoor, and you can cheer her on...if not actually, maybe you can send some positive thoughts her way. She is quite some young lady, but then I would say that;-)

As to your gesture regarding the Sue Ryder Hospice, I am more than touched, and thank you, so very much, on Andrea's behalf. Except, 'thank you' doesn't seem enough, but I think you know what I mean;-)

I hope your day is as sparkling as mine, here in East Anglia, and if not, I'll send you some of my sunshine;-)

Cheers and thanks again.

Sand Lady;-)

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 10:55

Dark Fox, many thanks for your kind words.

Yes, granddaughter Ashley got her Silver, two years ago. Whilst she was underaking one part of her journey, in the Cotswolds, I think, she became quite ill with asthma, brought on by hay-fever. It didn't stop her completing the course though, and only spurred her on to go for gold, two years later. Her aim in life is to travel, just like her auntie, and hopefully, one day live in the States. Such is her dream;-)

Don't worry though, Dark Fox, I'm with you. They didn't get their love of travel from me...I get lost, even in my own back yard, so stay put, most of the time;-)

Glad you enjoyed the poem, and thanks again;-)

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 11:00

I agree you with you, Rob - we do have some stunning and spectacular scenery here...Dartmoor being but one of many such places. Applecross in the highlands of Scotland has to be my favourite, as was Plockton, until the tourists moved in;-)

Tina

MistakenMagic | April 6, 2011 - 15:36

This flows so beautifully, Tina! I love the short-line structure. Well done on the well-deserved cherry :)

Magic xxx

Silver Spun Sand | April 6, 2011 - 17:25

Thanks, Magic...and how good to hear from you;-)

Tina xxx