The Madonna in Sorrow Giovanni Battista Salvi (1609-1685)
The Madonna in Sorrow
Giovanni Battista Salvi
(1609-1685)

gentlemen of the old school
those devotees of Mary …
Mother of Christ, Handmaid of the Lord
seeing her in every woman
….. generously
even me – daughter, mother, niece, friend –
protagonist, antagonist,
on-again off-again wife
simmering slowly in the broth of the cosmos
never quite done, never quite done
…..but they were …
………they were
gentlemen of the old school

dedicated to the real men in my life from whom you will not hear “locker room” talk

© 2013, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved Photo ~ via Wikipedia and in the U.S. Public Domain

7 Comments

  1. Very nice, Jamie. I have had and still have so many gentle-men in my life – who have respected me and nurtured me. But the one who keeps coming to mind is Tom H. He wasn’t in my circle of friends but I went to school with him. Many years ago (50?) I was sitting next to him at a dinner gathering and all of a sudden I heard him say “women – bodies to be abused.” I froze with fork in midair and stared at him with my mouth open. The whole room became quiet and he squirmed. Now I know there are two in the world – God help us. I am hoping this discussion about race and gender will continue for a long time.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I know. That’s why I put it in quotes and also I didn’t want to even put in that name. How did we ever get into this mess, Charlie? So disappointing. Thanks for taking time to read and comment.

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