
ordering
a Christmas wreath
for my parents’ graves
even though I know
they are not there



ordering
a Christmas wreath
for my parents’ graves
even though I know
they are not there
long ago
and remembered today
my father’s birthday
My father was born in 1915, and I often think of the history he and my mother lived through. His parents came here from Sweden.
A peaceful day here. Routine work around the house.
sun on a vase
from my mother’s home
in the room where I write
she often asked,
“Are you writing?”
ordering
a Christmas wreath
for my parents’ graves
even though I know
they are not there
Christmas Wreath Drawing is courtesy of Reusable Art.
Ellen Grace Olinger
once upon a time
my mother and I spent
so much time
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I remember her love
of flowers and all the colors
and the Bridal Wreath
bushes in bloom
once upon a time
love grows and endures
my great lesson
and hope
and gifts from
the seasons and yard
every year
The photo is from June 19, 2019, and the poem today.
This is another photo of the hawkweed by Karl today. There is a lot this year. He mows around the flowers while in bloom.
Ellen Grace Olinger
they can return
in new and different ways
some of the things
thought lost
my mother and I were
closer in her old age
though we always loved
language and books
a past illness led to me
simply sitting with her
for hours as that was
something I could do
conversations
the trust that grows
through decades
of unconditional love
now sometimes
these many years
since her passing
I remember what she said
and the advice still applies
Ellen Grace Olinger