This last Friday of September, the Poetry Sisters called out a challenge based on Wallace Steven’s Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. I enjoy puzzling together ideas into poem forms. In the model poem, Stevens uses few words in each stanza to convey a single emotion or thought.
I became intrigued by the idea of looking at grandchildren, not a single one, but the idea of having a grandchild. I have three daughters, and have been blessed with 4 grandchildren, ranging in age from 5+ years to 21 months. Each of my daughters have had at least one miscarriage.
To write this poem, I started using sticky notes, I carried the collection around for a few days. It worked well for separating each one and arranging them into some logical order. Thanks to my Inklings’ honest feedback, I am ready to publish this poem here, but I’m not leaving it. I want to feel that it will grow as my grands grow and reveal more to me about this amazing journey in grandparenting.
Ways of Looking at a Grandchild
I.
Grandmother
Mother
Daughter
3 in 1
1 in 3
Egg to egg to eggII.
Cut the cord
connection broken
New bond forever woken.III.
Cells divide.
Divide again.
Sometimes there is no
heartbeat.IV.
The way a mother looks
at her child with purest adoration–
A bloom of a flower planted
long ago.V.
Golden curls,
crystal blue eyes–
Precious gems to hold.VI.
Hand sign
three fingers
I
Love
YouVII.
One day she’s Ariel
another Anna, Batman, Spiderman—
always a fierce girl wonder.VIII.
Whose eyes are these?
I think I know. I’ve seen them
from a portrait glow.IX.
Whispers at bedtime
“Sing me the song you sing”
A grandmother’s lullaby.X.
Curve our bodies together
and turn pages of a book,
We enter a magical place.Margaret Simon, draft
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, thank you for sharing your grandchildren with us in this way! I especially love that fierce girl wonder. xo
Margaret, you created a poem that will grow with the grands years and honored grandmotherhood. Each grouping provided bits of information and there is room to grow new thoughts. Great job!
Margaret, a great idea to start a poem like this with post-it notes! I love the flow and the thought that it will continue to grow in the future!
Beautiful view of the grandkids, Margaret! Gotta love a fierce girl wonder.
Beautiful images, Margaret. Egg to egg to egg – love that!
Beautiful.
Ah, this is LOVELY. I so love the subtle science – egg to egg to egg. Cells divide, divide again. Sometimes there’s absence, and sometimes there’s wonderful presence. Here’s to celebrating the fierce girl wonder.
Margaret, this poem builds so beautifully. I especially love stanza II — it seems to speak not only to their births but to their growing up. I’m glad you shared it!
Margaret, this is so beautiful. I love that you are going to keep it close and add to it as grandparenting grows. I like the sweet rhymes that pop up in some of the stanzas. I’m here appreciating the lullaby I can almost hear you sing to these sweet ones.
Denise, out of respect for your recent loss, I was hesitant to post. But I’ve seen you bravely share yourself and decided to go ahead. God bless you. Thanks for being here.
Since mine are much older, Margaret, I know that your poem will grow. There is much to love in your poem and in having grandchildren. I so love “New bond forever woken.” And I always love seeing the pictures you share of your precious ones!
I love what you did with I. Your love for your family shines through all the ways present here. What gems you wear beautifully.
This is so wonderful, Margaret–I especially love that bloom of a seed planted long ago and the eyes recognized from portraits. Your love of your grandkids ALWAYS shines, and this poem is no exception.
Oh my, Margaret, I have goose bumps from reading your intimate and precious poem that rhymes, too. I love how you are going to keep adding to this beauty. I especially love new bond forever woken, bloom of a flower planted long ago, fierce girl wonder, and from a portrait glow. (I know. It was difficult for me to decide.) I also love stanza X at the end.
Love the seed and dividing beginnings and your magic and curves at closing in this heartfelt poem, thanks!
Completely beautiful tribute to your grand, Margaret. I know from what you’ve shared here that you are an exceptional teacher of gifted students, and you are also teaching me with every post.
Oh, Margaret, you’ve captured so much beauty and pain in one poem.
“Sometimes there is no heartbeat.” Yes, I went through that too many times.
And love that “fierce girl wonder.” ❤️