Following a cobblestone path
to an unexpected stage,
in innocence I would watch
moving dolls playact
a story for the masses.
I stood in a purple corduroy
dresses reflecting on my patent leather
shoes. It was hot. The hosts
hid underneath a camouflage
mysterious as the church
alter. I barely understood
the litany from those large puppet
mouths. Less clear
were the strings held by
invisible hands compelling
the plastic people to dance.
Yet at that tender age
I could see beyond
the contrived jerky
movements which bore
no semblance to genuine grace.
I left the scene a tiny
bit disturbed about strangeness
beyond our family door.
I felt vague guilt
as I knew I was expected
to enjoy myself. Was
the entire world so artificial
and contrived?
After the play ended
I needed something real
to erase the ugliness
of the stiff puppet people.
I ran to the familiar warmth
of our mother’s
flesh and blood embrace
and the simple comforts of home.

Copyright © 2011 Dianne Klammer

Diane Klammer, is a wife, mother, naturalist and retired Counseling Psychologist, who started writing seriously about five years ago. Her poetry has been published in Tattoo Highway, Pirene’s Fountain, Heavybear, Midwifery Today, Rattle and elsewhere. Her Fiction is in Fast Forward Mix Tape Edition. Diane’s first book, “Shooting The Moon”, was published by Monkey Puzzle Press in October of 2009.

“I still feel like a new writer, constantly editing, changing and trying to write one word at a time. We must learn not to wallow in the nadir of self criticism or in the zenith of conceit concerning our work, but remain on the level horizon where we can be at our best.”

posted by Paragon Dream
Tags: age, camouflage, church, cobblestone, cobblestone path, comforts of home, conceit, Counseling Psychologist, Dianne Klammer, door, family, Fast, flesh and blood, Forward, guilt, invisible hands, jerky movements, klammer, leather, level horizon, litany, Midwifery Today, Mix, mix tape, monkey puzzle, naturalist, patent, patent leather shoes, Pirene, plastic, playact, POETRY, Press, puppet show, Puzzle, puzzle press, self criticism, shooting the moon, Show, something, story, strangeness, tender age
Filed under: Poetry