Strike It Rich [rev.] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

On-a-shoestring interior decorating for Carine -
white lace curtains & lace Hollandaise to cover
the table, bookcase and iron chair; velvet bed-
spread in silver, black cover for contrast, small
carpet in white, black & grey till I have funds for
one bigger; some transparent glass marbles in
order to cover marks of old bunk-bed fittings,
mirrors found in the house,

I can't afford new ones, an item I couldn't
omit although your lil sis berated me all the
time: roses - in pink splashes to symbolise
love, nothing can say it so clearly & though
it might be too much - just know I love you
because you've been given to me, a soul
who needs be cosseted - the rest of our
family's so very independent and free

You've taken so many knocks yet you're
here where I can accept you as you are -
tho' with strange obsessions like reading
Hitler's "Mein Kampf", maybe its because
life's been Hitler to you, destroying those
you loved; I'm a cracked pitcher too - yet
I'm here for you - mightn't relate to pain
you suffer yet weathered my own youth

Maybe we have more in common than we
guess: as your parents were anathema to
you, mine scared me terribly, I had to learn
to relate to them in spite of their failings -
perhaps you can learn to love us, dad and
step-mom; in spite of shortcomings - a time
comes when one finds being unique doesn't
mean being different from all humanity

When one learns everyone experiences pain
in the same way even if causes are different,
the constriction of heartache and suffering is
always the same; you'll find we can attain joy
in the same way: by opening our hearts for
more risks; we might just strike it rich
- one day…



[ORIGINAL: ]

Interior decorating - on a shoestring - for Carine,
white lace curtains & lace Hollandaise - to cover
the table, bookcase and iron chair; a velvet bed-
spread in silver & a black cover for contrast, just
a small carpet in white, black and grey till I have
money for a much bigger one; transparent glass
marbles in order to cover the marks of the old
bunk-bed fittings - mirrors found in the house

I could not afford new ones - one thing I couldn't
leave out although your lil sis berated me all the
time: pink roses, splashes of pink to symbolise
love, nothing else says it so clearly and though
it might be too much - just know that I love you
because you have been given to me; the only
one who needs to be cosseted as the rest of
our family is so very independent and calm

You have taken so many knocks and you are
here - where I can accept you as you are with
all your strange obsessions - reading Hitler's
'Mein Kampf' - maybe because life has been
a Hitler to you, destroying everyone you loved;
though I'm a cracked pitcher too - I'm here for
you - though I mightn't relate to the pain you
suffered - I weathered my own youth; maybe

We have more in common than we think: just
as your parents were anathema to you, my own
parents scared me so terribly, I had to learn how
to relate to them in spite of their failings - maybe
you can learn to love us, dad and step-mom, in
spite of our many shortcomings - there comes a
time when one realises being unique does not
mean being different from other human beings

When one learns everyone experiences pain in
the same way even if the cause is different -
the constriction of heartache and suffering is
always the same; you'll find we can attain joy
in the same way: by opening our hearts for
more of the same; we might just strike it
rich one day…