A visit from The Healing Muse: 'Long Ago June'
Deirdre Neilen, PhD (photo by Jim Howe)
Deirdre Neilen, PhD, shares a selection from Upstate ‘s literary journal, “The Healing Muse,” every Sunday on “HealthLink on Air.” Neilen is the editor of the annual publication featuring fiction, poetry, essays and visual art focused on themes of medicine, illness, disability and healing. Read The Healing Muse Cafe Blog .
Today‘s selection is "Long Ago June" by Pam Freeman. Order your copy of “The Healing Muse” today.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
Transcript
Deirdre Neilen, PhD: Here is a loving tribute to memory from Skaneateles poet Pam Freeman.
"Long-Ago June"
Glistening toddlers
Wading pool
Sunstruck splashing
Summer afternoon
Time-lapse wrapped
In a wicker basket
Watermelon pickles
Oyster crackers
Ladybug sandals
Long-ago June
We lost one brother
Couldn't stop the cancer
Grandma thinks the other's
Their dad sometimes
His two girls
Are home from college
Grandma can't place them
But they make her smile
Like a cocoa-butter hug
Long-ago June
Never know why
Some memories last
Old home movies
All-star cast
Faded postcards
Addressed and stamped
Wish you were here
With me in the past
Life's a wheel
Love's the axle
Heartache's the break
Then we roll on
Catch a sudden glimpse
Of a chance remembrance
Polka-dot freckles
We're suddenly back
Click-click-clack
Of the slide carousel
Yes all of us are back
Long-ago June