The greatest gift
by cricketjeff on September 6, 2008. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
He raised her high so all could see
But in a crystal cage
And praised her in his poetry
The wonder of the age
He said that she was all his life
Yet kept her trapped within
Was this the way to treat a wife
Or was it mortal sin
She laid a trap, her love the bait
And waited in her lair
He’d never guess his final fate
‘Til she cut off his air
She said that she would always love
Yet wanted just to own
Her touch was iron inside a glove
Her heart was made of stone
I see each story in the art
But which of them is true?
Which lover takes the victim’s part
And which of them is you
Not everything is black and white
There’s colours and there’s grey
Sometimes both sides may be quite right
Most lives are built this way
Your Mother’s view is not the same
She doesn’t have your eyes
It doesn’t mean that she’s to blame
I’m pretty sure she tries
I have four children of my own
And sometimes we agree
Their views have changed as they have grown
They’re not the same as me
It’s very hard, for young and old
To walk another’s road
Some metal bars are purest gold
Some just a heavy load
There’s just one thing you should recall
When she is smart or dumb
I bet she’ll love you through it all
Your Mum is still your Mum!
Author notes
Alix, a note to you, I am an “old fart” my youngest child is now 18, I can see
how people my age see things, I can ask my children how people their age see
things, but the only way I can know what you know and see and feel is if you
tell me, so I would be especially grateful for your views on what I write.
The title refers to this Scottish saying:-
The greatest gifts the gods could gie us
To see ourselves as others see us
Mairi bheag reminds me (I should have remembered, I don’t foget much poetry)
It’s Robert Burns! And it runs thus:
“Oh wad some pow’r the giftie gie us
To see oursel’s as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
And foolish notion.”
It’s from his poem on seeing a louse on the bonnet of a young lady in the kirk.
If you are going to teach a young lady from Nevada a Scottish saying, please
give it correctly, and cite the source, ma mannie!
English