Poetry
~
Reflections From Life Itself
Ode to Seventeen
As Maisie's seventeenth birthday approached, I awoke one night with the idea of composing a poem, and this
thought lingered through the next day and into the next, and thus this little poem came to be.
Lighthearted but heartfelt, this centered on one among the many areas of special gifting for our dear Maisie:
An unusual artistic sensibility, with a remarkable eye for composition, the use of color and line, and a rare ability in portraiture to capture not only physical
likeness but also a subject's emotion.
She had taken to using that talent on fingernails, canvases, her arm, notebooks… whatever surface would hold paint or pencil, she used!
Without further ado, here is my 'Ode to Seventeen,' written to honor a dear granddaughter that I love very much.
Ode To Seventeen
For Maisie
With crisp wind in the air
Brisker than seemingly fair,
Stars ablaze, a moon rises near.
All gather en masse
To honor this winsome lass
Who seventeen has become
Yes, seventeen wherefrom;
Maisie her name,
She of artistic fame,
Auburn haired alluring beauty indeed,
Draws bones on skin with lightning speed
Brings enchanting joy to fingers' nails
Yet never on those of any males,
With brilliant as ever a style
The coyest of coy little smile,
And never, no never —
For she's ever so clever —
Has she had a faux pas
Or even the blahs,
And in her sublime state
She could not tolerate
Such a catastrophe as this —
O, the bliss!
Yes, Maisie our dear one, today
Seventeen will bring what may
For precious she
Beloved by me
To the end of the earth,
For what it's worth.
Seventeen, oh seventeen!
Prime number queen,
May this be a great year
For one so very dear,
May you continue to learn
All in its turn,
And may you never forget
This little vignette:
~~Brushstrokes will bloom
~~Where dreams have room.
With love always, Papa
13 November 2025
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