NaPoWriMo 2021 Day 23 -- Cross THE River
Tuesday morning the boat was not crowded
Though it would comfortably hold twelve
It only had this little Mexican
woman and a man with a big straw hat
The woman was carrying grocery bags
She stopped, kissed the ground, "U.S.A."
She went in the general store, had coffee
The man seemed to be seasonal, he left.
While the boat left and came back, woman shopped
A family of five got on the boat and
the father pulled the rope around, around
Another couple boarded, he pulled not
Out of sight they went, probably to homes
But the boat was loaded when coming back
Standing room only for the men. They came
for TexMex day, BOGO, Buy One Get one
Those were the days, no Customs Agents here
No Border Patrol either, all that was
done at the park gate by officials there
We came, went, crossing on the Little Boat
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- Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved
- I am also now linking this again, this time with Magaly, at The Writer's Pantry #81, https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/08/writers-pantry-81-no-more-blogger.html . And I am posting it there, LATE AGAIN.
- I made a couple of changes and I'm linking it again on May 16, 2021, with Rosemary in The Writer's Pantry # 70, https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/05/writers-pantry-70-words-for-healing.html?m=1
- I am linked with NaPoWriMo, National Poem Writing Month, Day 23, https://www.napowrimo.net/day-twenty-three-7/
- There our challenge at the NaPoWriMo was "to write a poem that responds, in some way, to another. " I chose the poem above by Jean Valentine, Little Boat. It reminded me of the old days, 1970's when the Big Bend National Park was open to the fold from Mexico and we were free to go to Mexico to shop for Hispanic items that we could not get here. Many visited relatives who were still living in Mexico.
The small boat that went across the Rio Grande River was attached to a rope and above was the other side of the rope, to be pulled one way or the other to propel the boat across the river.
- I am attempting to write at least one poem a day for the National Poem Writing Month. Today is Day 23 of the 30, you can see my progress here, NaPoWriMo 2021.
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Labels: F Person, Historical Artists and Poets, NaPoWriMo 2021, Poem, Syllabic Form
posted by Jim @ 8/01/2021 06:00:00 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
Yes, times have changed .. we realize it acutely as we age. I enjoyed your poetic remembrance.
I don’t know how I missed this poem the first time around, Jim, but in the thick of NaPoWriMo, it happens. I had never read Jean Valentine’s ‘Boat’ before and I like your nostalgic response to it, and the explanation about the small boat that crossed the Rio Grande. I especially love that it is a narrative poem, with characters and a hinted back story. I would love to know what happened to the little Mexican woman and the man in the hat.
A lovely reminiscence, beautifully told – bitter-sweet in the light of later developments.
What we must accept is that there will be changes many times as we work our way through life. Some will be good and some bad.
borders, schmorders, I say.
thank you for this narrative of a much better, simpler time. drugs and guns and politicians changed all that, i supposed.
thank you for pointing me to jean valentine's beautiful & poignant poem.
What an interesting glimpse...
Change, too often it isn't pretty.
It is hard to imagine a time when the crossing could have been done so freely--such a poignant piece
Fictitious verse. Nice. Simple and catching.
Sweet and nostalgic of simpler times. I can see it all in my mind.
A sweeter, happier, friendlier time. I like rivers, and messing about on boats; wish I'd done more of it, but glad I've done some.
i loved all the little details you put in the poem.
So i assumed, no passports were stamped? :)
those were certainly much simpler times.
I imagine the birds laughing at us humans for our insistence on making borders all over planet Earth. When did a bird ever stop anywhere for border control officers?
Really enjoy the feeling of this poem. Thank you.
The difference between past and present is starkly delineated here.
I wonder if times like this will ever be possible again. First the economy and now COVID (plus the economy) has changed things so much. Maybe our children's children will get to see better things.
I liked the poem. Had the world been one village with no boarder marks,how beautiful the life here would have been.
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