Comment from Bill McKenzie

Excellent

So elegant, so stark and evocative. And yes, it's common to deal with grief by being in action and movement, chopping wood, painting, digging in a garden. You think and feel and dig in your dirt, chip away at your ice. And the image of wearing the lost loved ones hat, keeping him "close to your thoughts, even your ears". I don't know the form but it seems to fit, well done.

 Comment Written 21-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 21-Mar-2017

Thank you, the memory just popped into my head the other day. Seemed perfect for a short form somehow...

I appreciate your review and comments,
Carol

Comment from Sis Cat

Excellent

Wow, this poem reminds me of myself. I wear items of my dead parents to help me deal with the grief and to keep my parents with me. It might be a coat of my father or a necklace of my mother. Something.

I love your cold imagery of a widow shoveling snow. Her husband likely used to do the shoveling and pick axing. Now she has to do it alone. Although she wears his hat for warmth, she still feels cold and alone by his passing.

Thank you for sharing your Cherita poem.

 Comment Written 20-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 20-Mar-2017

I wonder how common it is to wear items like that? This was me living and working in Snowbird, Utah, after my boyfriend died. I worked at the Cliff Lodge and one of my duties was to shovel snow and/or chop ice off the steps. I used to wear his hat and really laid into that ice. I still have the hat :)

Thanks for sharing your story...

Carol

Comment from Barb Hensongispsaca

Excellent

I really like this form and it is short but tells a whole story of a loss and how she wears his hat as she does what he would have done. Nicely done

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 Comment Written 20-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 20-Mar-2017

Thank you so much, Barb. I still have that hat :))

Carol

Comment from BeasPeas

Excellent

I'm familiar with this interesting form since I have read Joan E's. Yours is very well composed connecting the two phrases smoothly. Each word is selected carefully for the maximum impact on the reader. Great job. Marilyn

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 Comment Written 20-Mar-2017

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reply by the author on 20-Mar-2017

I worked quite a bit on this one, trying to get it just right - hoping it got the story across. It's a true story of course, myself at age 21. I really loved Joan's poems too :))

Carol

reply by BeasPeas on 20-Mar-2017

I put 2 and 2 together from what you have related in the past. A very well done Cherita.