This is a little vignette I wrote in response to a prompt during my memoir class with Sarah Thebarge. (I learned so much from her.) The prompt was to think about the resolution of our story arc and write about what other things were happening “meanwhile.”
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Meanwhile, Benton laughed, his infectious smile and unmistakeable dimple brightening every room. He did need me. And I needed him.
He’s my only child, my only living child, and he’s growing every day. We watch Looney Toons together and giggle. He notices, even at two years old, when the animator makes a slight mistake. For two or three frames Elmer Fudd’s hat is the wrong direction; for a fraction of a second Bugs Bunny stands beside a sign with the words lined up differently than the frame before. He sees so much that I do not and opens my eyes to possibilities I never dreamed of.
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I decided to share this for Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub today. It’s not really a poem, but some of what I’ve learned at dVerse about concrete language in poetry is incorporated in this little vignette that will likely appear somewhere in my memoir when I finish it.
You describe the relationship between mother and son well and also convey the intelligence of the child. Too many people underestimate children
I love this idea of starting with the idea of “meanwhile.” I may have to borrow that for some future writing.
I love this vignette! 🙂 The naiviety of children — their unconditional love — the unconditional expression of all emotions felt. You made me smile this morning over my second cup! 🙂
Sarah read us a poem, I think it was by Mary Oliver, as inspiration. It really was a great exercise. I look forward to reading what you do with it.
Beautiful!
I do like this so much, how he opened your eyes to the noticing the small things and that at 21, he still does.
I like the snapshot Linda! Being with a child can open our eyes to many things we usually don’t pay attention to!
At 21, he still helps me see things in new ways. 🙂
love the little “meanwhile” snapshot of you and your son. Sometimes there are aspects of our stories that may not be crucial to “telling the tale”, but they add depth and colour…much like a bit of salt being added to a meal.
I do love that we connect what we learn here, and what we learn elsewhere… and the meanwhile is an excellent thing to think of… both as slightly outside the arc of your story… but also write about the things that are in the periphery, and just maybe those things turn out to be more important in the end.
That is how I felt about this piece — that is showed how my son needing me was more important than all I’ve been through.
Awesome!