Sonomas

It’s had tacks in it
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor –
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
‘Cause you find its kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now –
For I’s still goin’, honey,
I’s still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Love this poem. I had to memorize a poem for a QC acting class that I took a few years ago (obviously didn't pay off). But I did develop a complete and total respect for the form of this poem. When you have to repeat the words over and over again, it develops it's own rhythm. The punctuation forces you to stop and start again at a much slower pace than I wanted to say it. The emotion comes up through the force of the mothers admonition to keep going.

What I really thought was cool was the juxtaposition with the picture. Although this pic is apparently Mary and Jesus after the cruxifiction, overlaid with the poem it takes on a new meaning.