Comments : O Mother of all

  • 4 years ago

    by Everlasting

    I’m just going to write what comes to mind. Sorry, if it’s all jumbled.

    What I find confusing about the poem is that you seem to be addressing two mothers. First, the title addresses “O Mother Of All”. So without reading anything else, I’m already thinking that this poem will address either Mother Earth? Or Virgin Mary (I’m catholic and so Virgin Mother to me is the Mother of All).

    With that in mind, I read the first line << to the Mother of Holly Jones>> this prompts me that the poem is a dedicatory.

    Okay, I’m surprised and I’m not sure what to expect. So I continue read.

    “ I saw your neck hoisting like the swans”

    ^these words create a pretty vivid image plus it also tells me that the narrator is addressing directly the mother of Holly Jones. The narrator is describing the mothers posture per se.

    “I saw your soul
    splashing
    to the skies,
    like a fountain
    yearning
    to never hit the ground
    again. “

    these words are deep. I already have the picture of the posture of the mother created by the first lines, and now I can also picture the soul going upwards. The image of the soul Splashing and not wanting to hit the ground ever, rather than create a feeling of “pain” Creates a feeling of “refreshment”. It’s probably created by the word splashing. I usually link “splashing” to water and pools and most of the time to having fun. Anyhow, at this point, I am already associating the mother of Holly Jones as water.

    Oh!
    dear mother,
    the mother of all!
    burn!
    burn
    Let the charcoal world,
    glow in your grieve
    and burn,

    Now, this is where my confusing begins. As stated before, I’m already with the belief that the narrator is addressing the mother of Holly Jones but in this stanza, it seems to be addressing Mother Earth. The narrator seems to be asking Mother Earth to Burn! But wait?
    Why is the narrator saying let the charcoal world glow in YOUR grieve...?
    Is Mother Earth grieving? But why? I’m curious. Anyhow, with this stanza, I’m associating Mother Earth with Fire.

    pour!
    pour!
    Let the flaming farms
    saturate and glow

    Now, when I see pour pour... I think water rather liquid. How can mother of All pour and let the farms saturate and glow? Is it with magma? Lava?

    let
    the whole world satiate
    in your eyes,
    the way
    your tears macerate
    the parched lips
    of my
    thirst!

    Overall, my conclusion is that the narrator is addressing both mothers. Not just The mother of Holly Jones. So in that sense, I feel the one who is grieving is the mother of All rather than Holly Jones.

    Though, at least to me, if instead of saying YOUR

    “Let the charcoal world,
    glow in your grieve
    and burn,”

    I would say “Her grieve” that way I would try to think that the narrator is asking Mother Earth (the mother of All) to burn for the mother of Holly Jones grieve.

    That’s just part of my thoughts. I am sorry for what happened to the girl. This is an emotional topic.

    • 4 years ago

      by ddavidd

      Thank you so much, dear Luce.