Tonight, my mind turns to the words of a song I learned in grade school. Written by Lydia Marie Child (1802- 1880), a dame school trained child who became a teacher, author, and abolitionist, the poem was first published in 1844 in Flowers for Children, Vol. 2. The first stanza of the poem is: “Over the river and through the wood / to Grandfather’s house we go. / The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh / through the white and drifted snow [...].” Like the poem, “Mary’s Lamb” (the original title of the poem by Sarah Josepha Hale) that became known as “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” Child’s poem/ song has become classic.
The song is about Thanksgiving Day. As a child, the words had a bittersweet ring to them, to me. I felt left out when other children described their holiday plans which included a visit with grandparents. As the youngest child in the family, and with grandparents who passed on early, I had never met even one grandmother or grandfather. I have always longed for relationships that never happened.
Thanksgiving Day will soon be here. I can bet this turkey will be trying to hide in the woods! photo by James Cummings
Grandparents are revered in some cultures. They are valued for their collective wisdom and good advice. They can fill in the blanks when parents fall short. Today, in spite of their own good wishes toward their families, grandparents are often cast aside and overlooked, particularly in American society where the pace of life is brisk and those who falter, even a little, are often left by the wayside.
Poetry and song can help us to gather romantic notions that are sometimes divorced from the stark reality of life, as we know it to be.
Words are powerful, but put to music, they can resonate throughout a lifetime. One reason I enjoy folk music so much is that it expresses strong human emotions and sometimes recalls meaningful personal events. Child’s song, that I learned when I was very young, still conjures up a feeling of well-being: the fantasy of taking a sleigh ride to see Grandma and Grandpa, a treasured fantasy. Longevity is the true mark of a successful poem.
To read more about Lydia Marie Child, please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_Maria_Child
Patricia Cummings
Tags: Lydia Marie Child
