Friday, January 21, 2011

Leesie's poem to finish Chapter 32


Celebrate with me everybody! We passed 50k words yesterday, and I didn't even notice. Thanks for loving Michael and Leesie enough to hang in there with me, every day, all this time. 

Here's the rest of Chapter 32. I got emotional typing it up. Those of you who are known to get teary  might want to have a tissue ready. 

LEESIE’S MOST PRIVATE CHAPBOOK
POEM #??,
The next time
Michael pulls up
in front of Jaz’s hopping shack
and I flurry out to meet him,
I’m shy—
to touch his hand,
to kiss his lips,
to tell him the requested
missionaries, sufficiently stuffed
with fish soaked in buttermilk,
breaded with Jaz’s secret recipe
and fried to perfection by Junior,
wait on the porch.
He’s different—strange to me—
I no longer lead, guide, walk beside.
He’s taken control of his destiny
and mine.

His lips taste familiar
as we linger at the roadside
reconnecting after five days apart.
“Are we going to do this?” His
whisper stirs my hair.
I nod—find his lips again.
“What was that for?”
“In case you never kiss me again.”
My face gets hot. “Remember last time?”
A phantom from his last
missionary encounter rises
menacing between us.
He wafts it away with a wave
of his hand, strong and tan,
that cups my chin.
“That’s not going to happen—
Those guys were right.
I didn’t have ears.”

He takes my hand
and pulls me along the path
to meet the two smiling elders
who know him from church.
Guys his age—humble, excited to teach.
Michael reflects their energy,
listens, nods, accepts, believes.
At the end, he says the prayer
when they ask.
“Dear Heavenly Father”—
his voice is tender and full of love—
“Thank you—thee—for opening
my eyes and giving me
Leesie
to fill my heart.”

I join his “amen,” in the name
of Jesus Christ, and offer my own
silent thank you, in awe of the man
beside me who shakes
the missionaries hands, makes
the next appointment, sees them off,
then reaches for my hand
and brings it to his lips,
kissing, one by one, the nail prints
he left so long ago when he showed
me his wounds and I tried to anoint them
with the only balm I knew.
He pulls me into his arms,
kisses me tenderly,
like I’m a daughter of God.
And my brimming heart knows
he’s ready to be
a son.

10 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh things are going too perfect right now. Half of me is sooooo extremely excited and half of me is just waiting for disaster to strike. Please no disaster!!!

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  2. I know what you mean, Jenna. I'm tempted to just end the book right here.

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  3. Please no disaster!!! This chapter was beautiful and perfect.

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  4. Please just end it, ha ha! No I don't want it to end. Not yet. I know something not great is going to happen...but please make it a small something...this chapter was beautiful.

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  5. Oh, this one's a beauty, Angela! And congrats on reaching 50K. You've been terrific.

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  6. Love this as always! I don't think I want to know what's coming next...

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  7. Good to hear from you, Bee. I appreciate all your earlier comments. Glad you're catching up.

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