Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
I’ll be the quiver
For the arrows
You don’t yet know
How to hold.
I’ll guard the darts
The barbs
The jagged
Points,
Safe within the
Burnished leather
Of my years,
Till you grow enough
To be the quiver
For your own
Sharpened spears.
For the dVerse quadrille challenge: quiver
tucked away in the mountains
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Na'ama Yehuda 
Parenthood is a big job that never ends even after they can carry their own sharp things. I love the photo and the quadrille together, Na’ama.
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Thank you! Isn’t this photo perfect? I went looking for it after I’d already written the poem and it basically waited there for me. Love it when things work out this way! 🙂
And, yes, all kinds of caregivers hold (or should hold) the things a child cannot yet, for them … and show them how to contain themselves … through the modeling of how adults do so …
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I know exactly what you mean about writing a poem and then finding just the right photo as if it were waiting.
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Well, I’m convinced it WAS waiting … because sometimes they line themselves up and wait and do … 🙂
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How beautiful. That first line made me get an actual lump in my throat:
“I’ll be the quiver
For the arrows
You don’t yet know
How to hold.”
What an amazing thing, in parenting or otherwise, to hold a person that gently.
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Thank you, De! May we all know someone who holds us – or had held us – in gentleness. For children it is a must, IMO, though all too often they struggle to find someone who can model this for them and hold things for them till they can manage to. I’m so glad the quivering emotion of it came through …
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Very nice Na’ama. The tweet is now a generic @wordpress.com handle. Your handle has gone away. Try refreshing your connection to Twitter through WordPress.
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Thank you, John. For now I believe that this is what it will be. I REALLY appreciate you sticking with it and sharing the links! 🙂
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Nice lines: “Burnished leather
Of my years,”
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Thank you, Frank! 🙂
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An enjoyable read. Lovely words. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment! I really appreciate it! 🙂
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A great metaphor for parenthood, Na’ama! I love the phrase ‘safe within the burnished leather of my years’.
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Thank you, Kim! I was thinking of the ‘thicker skin’ we must have around those who are still unable to regulate themselves as well as they (hopefully!) would when older … and that there is a certain ‘wizened’ quality to being able to take a step back and realize that we have the ability to withstand those without taking on an injury (where we might’ve in our youth … or younger years …) 🙂
Also liked the idea of old, much-handled, must-trusted leather containers. 🙂
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The metaphor here is sharp like an arrow and delivers with impressive force and precision, while every line is oozing with heartfelt love and tenderness. This is truly a masterpiece.
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Thank you, Colin! What lovely high praise! I am blushing and gratified! 🙂 Here’s to the heartfelt, tender, and tenacious connections we can have with others. Yay!
Na’ama
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If only my praise could do justice to your work, Na’ama! 🙂
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Aww…well, thank you again!! That is very very kind of you to say! 🙂
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Love the thought of being the support for someone else… being a quiver is a wonderful metaphor…
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Thank you Bjorn! I’m glad you liked the metaphor! 🙂 it spoke to me and I’m happy others enjoy it.
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such a protective parental aspect, sweet 🙂
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Thank you, Kate! Glad you liked it! 🙂
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I did indeed 🙂
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🙂
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