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About This Poem
My Mother Jean, A Maverick
Alberta “Jean,” the different one was she
since her birth and among her family.
This redhead born of parents with dark hair
had felt herself an odd plain duck; in prayer
she’d kneel and on her father’s farm was awed
by nature. In the fields, she’d pray to God.
With fervent adoration for her God,
she searched for truth. A maverick was she.
She left her parents’ church, for she was awed
by teachings not those of her family.
The Gospel she discovered through deep prayer
dismayed her folks, as had her bright red hair!
Upon her birth, because of her red hair,
her folks had joked she wasn’t theirs, but God
would lead her to a new life. On a prayer,
she traveled west. A restless soul was she -
the one to leave her home and family
to find her niche; by her bold move I’m awed.
By all the things she did back then, I’m awed.
She joined the Navy. Jean, with bobbed red hair,
would meet my dad and start a family.
Great trials came to her. She called on God.
To go back home then was the answer she
was given after long and pleading prayer.
She had to leave my dad. I know through prayer
this answer came to her. Again I’m awed
because with us, her four small daughters, she
became a single mom. She wore long hair
up in a bun, worked hard, had faith in God,
and married someone else with family.
Eight children then were in our family.
My mother taught her step kids about prayer,
affecting all our lives. Her trust in God
is never-ending, and we all are awed. . . .
She’s 80, widowed, and still has red hair
and goes out dancing!! Rare indeed is she!
With faith in God, Jean raised a family.
No need of fame has she, for she has prayer
and grandkids awed now by her still red hair!
*For the Maverick Poetry Contest hosted by
Cyndi MacMillan. I honestly could not think of
a famous person that I wanted to write about,
so I chose my mother. We are planning a huge
80th B-Day surprise party back in Iowa next month,
so I wanted to do a poem for her! She greatly
changed the world of her second husband and his
children, and the ripple effect from that has changed
others in the world! See "About this poem" for more
details.
I changed the SESTINA by using rhyme. Instead of
choosing just any six words to repeat at the end of
each line, I decided to use three pairs of words that
rhymed with each other. The position of the words
changes from stanza to stanza, but I think the rhyming
aspect still holds strong.
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