Saturday, October 20, 2012

Mother's Purse


Today, in tribute to the day in 1913 on which Opal Auntionette Terrell Teal was born, I am being grateful for the birthday which made my own birthday possible, and for the strong woman who gave birth and life to me.
She never went anywhere without her purse.  I have the ones shown here, and most of the contents!
Happy Birthday, Mother.




Mother’s  Purse

1.
pastel patterns sparkle on
beaded pouch dangling 
from tarnished chain
room only for a hankie
hung from your thin
flapper girl shoulder

2.
fun dressup became working casual
brown beige black grey
bag with zippers
pockets and handles
capacious, strong, heavy holding
keys and address book
wallet and check books and coupons
driver's license, children's photograph
a pleated plastic headwrap
S&H green stamps
Kleenex and comb and metal folding cup
red lipstick worn to slant
nail file and Ritz crackers
always anchored on your arm

2.
Red pocketbook with gold snaps
monogrammed “T”
inside pockets sparsely filled
½ roll Tums
1 cough drop
nail scissors
allergy card no
penicillin or codeine
Dr. business card
sticky note with
my children:
names and phone numbers
$6.00
Thompson Funeral Home card
kept until we needed it
held now in a hand missing
holding yours


                                                

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