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Jude Goodwin-Hanson

Blessed


He smiles we smile
and smiling click
our forks and tongues
and sip our soup

He speaks then stops
and so we sit
and nod inclined our eyes enslit

He has a gun it smokes
and gleams
and rests beside his plate of greens

He laughs and tosses
gun and spoons and soon
the baby's laughing too

Just having fun
and spending time
He watches me - I sip my wine

He watches me
and licks my face
I dare not move from his embrace

Ho Ho! the baby claps
and wraps
her fists around her daddy's gun

He smiles we smile
and smiling sit
A family blessed!
So tightly knit -

June, 2002


Jude Goodwin-Hanson's Questions:

1. What feeling(s) does this poem bring forth? I am looking for immobilizing fear.

2. Is there cadence?



This poem did invoke a strong element of fear...and a little confusion. All in all it was wonderfully done!
B. Taylor
USA - Mon Jul 8 13:53:42 2002


Jude, Yes, I was quite taken aback as I worked my way to the end of your piece. The scene was all too real!!! Yiks! I couldn't move...so immobilized with the thought of the babies hand around that gun. We are all surrounded by scenes such as this on a daily basis in the news unfortunately...violence as hard cold steel in the midst of family/community. Cadence---yes, a rhythm for sure...thought of a nursery rhyme of two that I remember from reading to my children. Thank you for sharing.

USA - Wed Jul 10 14:54:26 2002


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