The Lady in Silver and Teddy’s Moon
For Roberta
Are you free to dance now
free of all the houses
you have restored
free of unthinking people
free to dance with Teddy
see the shore
of Eastport
when the herring run again
reflected in your collection
of bracelets
worn with pride
in memory of Guatemala
where you almost settled
what a privilege
for Phyllis and me
to share soup and biscuits
Polish sardines, brownies
How you clung to the
right to honor your brother
against all intruders
In politics, a radical
reading the most difficult
Kendall Merriam was born and raised in Rockland. He has a history degree from Gordon College and pursued graduate studies in military and maritime history at the University of Maine at Orono and Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Conn. He received grants to study historical research at Colonial Williamsburg and the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Merriam has been widely published, including in Katyn W Literaturze (Katyn in Literature), a Polish anthology of literary works about the WWII Katyn Forest Massacre by 120 international authors, including Czeslaw Milosz. Most of Merriam’s work has a definite muse – family, friends, and strangers – with life’s larger themes of work, love, loss and death.
themes and policies
of late you could
not hear the sweet
voices of your daughter
and Jessica’s children
who will call to us
“Come in. The door is not locked”.
Thinking it impossible
that it would be anyone else
without the gentle clash
of your silver
Teddy’s Moon
How you would like to show him
God’s giant jewel
glowing and gleaming
directly over The Head of the Bay
listening to impeccable music
dressed with impeccable style
He smoked, it is true
but only 20 percent of smokers
die of cancer
He died for U. S. Government sins
asbestos
the Army did not protect him
no masks, no special clothing
hazmats they call it now
how cynical the Generals, Admirals were
a long lead time to illness
unlike Long Beach
where revolt was quashed
so now Roberta is alone
by heart some of the time
but now the family
fills in the chinks of hurt
Jim, Gaye, Jessica, Fiona, Naomi
tonight this lonely, cold moon
gives cheer to those
who venture out
can anything such as this
really exist, beautiful
can Teddy exist in another dimension
someday he may come up from Snow’s Shipyard
put on music and dance Roberta away
Event Date
Address
United States
