Richard DeVoe, one of the members of the Cohoes Library
Writing Workshop, introduces work from this group with a Tanka poem (a Japanese
verse form) and a prize-winning essay, published in The Daily Gazette. Richard is a lifelong resident of Cohoes and is retired after a 33-year career with the
State of New York.
In addition to his interest in writing memoir and poetry, he is a musician and singer/songwriter currently in the process of writing and recording a
collection of original songs entitled “Attic of Dreams”.
“The Gift” is reprinted here by permission of the author. With the essay's wit and warmth, we say a final goodbye to the holiday season.
“Morning Song” is our blessing to everyone for the New Year:
“Sing loud. Rejoice!”
Morning Song
Silence comes to me
When I hear his morning song.
Awake is his tune.
Come join our parade. Sing too.
A new day. Sing loud. Rejoice!
The Gift
The cold Saturday morning wind hits my ten year
old face like the crack of a bat on a hard-thrown pitch. I close the front door
and walk down the stairs onto the sidewalk. It's only a week until Christmas and
I want to buy Mom something nice. But what? I already got Dad his, a paperback
book about fishing that I thought he might like. I bought my eight-year-old
sister Kathleen a book where you could cut out paper doll clothes to put on the
cardboard girl. My fourteen-year-old brother Tom was getting a pocket knife
that I saw in the Army & Navy store. Now I only had Mom left, the toughest
decision.
I have to stay within my budget though. I check
the pockets of my corduroy pants and my hand rakes through the assortment of
change that I've saved up. How much do I have to work with, I think to myself?
Well, there's only one way to find out...count it.
As I walk up the street, I duck into the narrow
alleyway that separates two houses to get out of the wind and add up the money
in my pocket...$1.43. Not much but it will have to do.
I head back onto the sidewalk and begin my
journey to Remsen Street,
the main shopping district in the city. I'll have lots of stores to check out
to find the perfect gift for her. There's Woolworth's, Fishman's, S.S Kresge's,
that ladies store Juliette's which I won't go into by myself. I mea, what if one of my friends sees me
going in there alone? I'll find something somewhere.
As I head down White Street, I pass by the Hometown
Bakery. Boy, I really could go for one of their jelly donuts this morning. I go
in and the smells of the sweet treats engulf the room and my nose. I ask the
lady behind the counter in the white dress how much it would be for one jelly
donut. "Fifteen cents," she says. “O.K. I'll take one,” I answer.
Let's see..my budget has now been reduced to $1.28.
When
I turn onto Remsen Street,
I look up and notice all the Christmas decorations hung across the street from
the light poles. Right after Thanksgiving, the city puts them up and lights
them for the holiday shoppers. I walk to the end of the block and go into
Kresge's. To the right of the entrance is the small lunch counter where the
nice lady with hair on her chin works. Eating that donut made me thirsty. I
sure could go for a drink. Maybe I'll buy a root beer from the barrel at the
end of the counter. “How much for a root beer?” I ask. "Twenty cents,” the
bearded lady says. “O.K. I'll take one.” My budget now has been reduced to
$1.08. I look around the store but can't find anything for Mom. If she only
could use a turtle, they sold them in the back of the store.
Next I go into Fishman's. Nothing really in here
for her, I think to myself. Woolworth's is next. Walking down the aisle I
notice the display with baseball cards in it. You’ve got to be kidding!
Baseball cards in December! My lucky day! I'll buy a pack to see if I can get
that Willie May's card that I lost flipping. Let's see, five cents a pack..one
pack....$0.05. My budget is now $1.03. O.K., no more fooling around, got to
find a present for Mom. I walk to the end of the aisle and turn down the next
one where my eye catches the perfect present for her. A bottle of Lavender
Bubble Bath and it's only $0.89! I snatch it up, pay for it and head outside
back home. Mission
accomplished and I have $0.14 left in my budget.
When Christmas morning comes the family gathers
to open their presents. I get that catcher's mitt I told Dad about that was in
the National Auto Store, a transistor radio with an ear piece and some clothes.
Dad loves his paperback, Kathleen her paper dolls and Tom his knife. Mom opens
her gift from me. "Just what I wanted and need," she says and smiles
at Dad. Later on we gather with the rest of the family and celebrate this
special day.
Looking back, I think how much simpler
and less commercial Christmas was then. Now, even before Halloween, the stores
get decorated and advertise non-stop. The radio stations even start playing
Christmas music right after Election Day. You must find that special gift now before
it's no longer available.
I found my special gift through the eyes of
a ten-year-old child...the gift of a Mother's love.
Oh, I forgot to mention… the apartment we
lived in at the time didn't have a bathtub.
You have such a cheerful outlook, Rich. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNice post. Great blog. Thanks for the share. It was very interesting and informative. Keep posting. I follow you.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite tanka:
ReplyDeleteOn the white sand
Of the beach of a small isle
In the Eastern Sea
I, my face streaked with tears,
Am playing with a crab
– Ishikawa Takuboku
Besides, every time I need to analyze a poem, I go to Special-Essays and ask somebody to help me. That always works. Thanks for interesting information! )
Thanks for this wonderfull post!
ReplyDeleteAirport Taxi
Nice article and such a good information.
ReplyDeleteThis is my Tanka Poem from my English class..
ReplyDeletealone just waiting, come home
so empty and lost
hate the world im living in
moment when you left
sky has fallen down on me.
Wow.. really nice blog i found here.. many thank's for good sharing about many experience..
ReplyDeleteMorninc song is adorable Tanka, I like this Japanese verse form.If someday you ned to write essay about Japanese culture, www.advanced-writer.com you can wisit this website
ReplyDeleteHello, thank you for this good post! I think that everything will be great and you will save your time for yourself! Also, I want to tell about the best and very needed writing help at http:// buy-custom-writings.com! Thanks for them, everything will be great)
ReplyDeleteHi to all! This is a wonderful morning, which begins with song! I like it and love this attitude! I can a good sing but poorly written essay. Thats way, they help www.essay-mania.com is always topical!
ReplyDeleteI like reading tankas and haiku, its content always has very deep sens hidden behind symbols.. Thanks for sharing, here is my favourite haiku:
ReplyDeletesitting by an old pond
a frog jumps in
giving off the sound of water
- by Basho..
Creative academic writers are available online for you!
ReplyDeleteBefore making a credit to a grown-up youngster, you ought to in any event get an archive, marked by the tyke (and, if fitting, his or her accomplice or life partner) recognizing the obligation, and furthermore the terms of the advance, for example, when the advance is to be reimbursed. Particular focuses to note. Cash Advance Chicago
ReplyDeleteThis is very nice resource for all of the writers. Being a successful writer is not an easy task. Good author is also a good reader, that's why such high-quality resources with so many writing tips are very useful for a writer. Also
ReplyDeletewww.grand-essays.com can help cope with any papers writing qualitatively and fast.
I appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts feeling great when reading your post .
ReplyDeleteassignment writing service
I see the greatest contents on your blog and I extremely love reading them. 192.168.l.l
ReplyDeleteOn this subject internet page, you'll see my best information, be sure to look over this level of detail. write my essay reviews
ReplyDeleteWhen you are searching for a macbook screen repair Dubai or macbook pro repair Dubai company, look at Althawra Computers that fit your needs and fix your MacBook in no time. We have qualified teams who also offer MacBook air battery replacement Dubai and MacBook pro battery replacement Dubai round the clock. Our knowledgeable customer service representatives and staffs are 24 hours available to help you.
ReplyDelete