a sun kissed life

My interview at Poets United with the lovely Sherry Marr!

Thank you Sherry!

BLOG OF THE WEEK ~ AN UPDATE WITH AYALA

My friends, as so many of us are grandmothers, I thought you might enjoy sharing a new Grandma’s joy at the birth of a sweet little grandson, her first. Ayala of A Sun-Kissed Life, has been writing some beautiful, joyous poems since the birth of wee Aiden, her son’s first child, last February. I have been really loving them, and thought you might too.

Sherry: Ayala, I have been so enjoying your recent poems about your beautiful new grandson. I've been feeling your excitement and enchantment with this precious new little being. Would you introduce him to us?

Ayala: Thank you, Sherry! The day Aiden was born I was overcome by gratitude and love for this small boy. There he was, my son's infant boy and I wept and wept with joy. He is a miracle, and life is full of blessings in his presence. His smile melts away all my worries.

photo credit: Robert Cernuda

AIDEN

Hello world

he seemed to say

with one eye open

as he gazed at life.

Seven pounds

fifteen ounces

infant warrior.

Hello snow

blizzard raging.

Hello mother,

father,

grandmas,

hello nurses,

doctors.

Hello world,

wrinkly fingers and toes,

dimples,

footprints engraved on our souls.

Hello world,

sucking noises,

sighs,

sweet cries,

the sounds of the Wheels on the bus,

abc's,

paw prints on the sidewalk.

Hello world,

breath,

love,

peace,

I am Aiden and

I am ready to celebrate it all.

Sherry: And you will celebrate right along with him, seeing the world’s wonders through his eyes. He is beautiful, Ayala. So precious. Let’s look at one of your other early poems for him.

LITTLE ONE

What do you see in your dreams

little one?

sheep that you count

white and dreamy

like the billowy clouds above.

What do you see in your dreams

when you sigh in your sleep,

green endless fields,

yellow and black Labrador retrievers?

Do you smile because you see

your mother and father gazing

at you with adoration

sparkle in their eyes.

Do you dream about

your maternal and paternal grandmothers

rocking you to sleep gently and lovingly.

What do you see in your dreams

little one?

The sun shining through

the gray morning

as the snow melts off

the bare trees

outside your window.

Milk and sweetness

life and love.

Do you see the future smiling on you,

what do you see my love?

Robert Cernuda

Sherry: So lovely. Newborns are so dreamy. Aiden is a family's dreams, come to life.

I enjoyed the following poem so much. I am remembering two years ago, when Lunabella arrived in our family. Babies are magical creatures!

Ayala: Lunabella, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl! Congratulations to you Sherry!

Sherry: We grandmas and great-grandmas are pretty lucky.

PRECIOUS ONE

May the sound of the sea
give you tranquillity.
May the sight of the blue topaz sky

spark your desire to fly.

May you bloom like a flower

on the side of the mountain

resilient and graceful.

May your steps be light

and your touch gentle.

May you be strong like

the roots of the oak tree.

May you find the sacred in

the ordinary,

in the light breeze on your face,

in the crimson sunrise,

in the salty taste of the ocean spray.

May you delight in powerful words.

may you be charmed by sweet poetry.

Play in the moonlight,

sketch on the large canvas of life,

bathe underneath the stars.

Dream big.

Love fiercely.

Laugh,

and laugh some more.

Sherry: “Dream big”, and “Laugh”. Two excellent wishes. How has he changed you, Ayala?

Ayala: I wish for Aiden all the best in this universe. It may sound cliche, but in my heart there are endless dreams for him.

Sherry: I think the following poem explains this very well. Let’s take a look.

ENCHANTMENT

Your sweetness

awakens peace within me,

an immense joy

that roars like incoming

waves breaking on the shore.

The tides rise and fall

with time,

as I look into your eyes

and our souls meet again.

My words palpable

pour on to the page

unassuming

brimming with enchantment

and truth.

You nestled in my heart,

my love,

pure,

immeasurable.

I wait for the universe to lift you,

embrace you

and write the chapters of your life

with peace,

felicity,

and enlightenment.

Sherry: A Grandmother’s love is so pure, so joyous. His parents must be over the moon!

Ayala: Yes, his parents are over the moon! Both families are devoted to Aiden and his well being. My boys were and are my universe and my love for Aiden is just a little sweeter if that's even possible. Our time is limited and I savor every moment. When he sleeps over, I stay in the room that was once his dad's and I read while I watch over him. I cherish him.

Sherry: I loved the animals and sea creatures in the following poem, Ayala, and the thought of all of the wonders this wee voyager has yet to discover.

SUNDAY MORNING

Sunday,

thunder pierced the morning.

You fell asleep,

your arms stretched above your head

in surrender

to your dreams.

Lions, giraffes in Africa,

tales I tell you about the sun and stars,

colorful starfish and

blue marlin living in the ocean as

you sink into your dreams.

You touched my face,

your nails on my skin,

happiness climbed to meet you

like the new day.

Short breaths,

joyous sounds

are things I hold as miracles,

for the love I feel is extraordinary.

Your eyelashes flutter,

evanescence, beauty

of the moment.

I cover your head with kisses,

my heart open to you,

and the universe.

source

Sherry: Are you looking forward to introducing him to the world and all its creatures?

Ayala: It is my dream that one day we will travel to beautiful places that we can explore. My mom traveled with Josh and I when he was a little boy, and I am grateful that we have those memories.

Sherry: I hope you do, Ayala. A poem that really got my attention is the tender one you wrote to your son about his new child.

TELL HIM

Talk to your son,

my child.

The way I spoke to you on

moonless nights

about the stars and galaxies.

Tell him your tale:

how you loved cars,

how you simulated their sounds.

Tell him about colorful Lego bricks

you made into castles with soldiers,

about war and peace.

Tell your son

about the stories you devoured

of art and history,

how your home was filled with love,

and every breath was brimmed with gratitude.

Tell him about your ancestors

and their will to survive the

strife and hunger of the grey war.

Tell him about bees and pollination,

the salmon's migration,

grizzly bears,

and bald eagles.

Tell him of your struggles

and your human decency.

Talk to your son,

my child.

He will grow with sparkling pride.

He will know your love is undeniable,

your love shining through his days and nights.

Sherry: Isn’t it amazing, when it happens to us, the legacy of the generations, living on, as we pass on our hard-won wisdom to those who follow?

Ayala: I wrote this poem for my son because I am aware that both he and his wife have demanding careers, and I wanted to share the wisdom that it all goes by so fast, and now is the time to pay attention to these fleeting moments.

Sherry: It does go by in a wink. I know your family history has an amazing legacy, having overcome much that made possible this small voyager's arrival. I am thinking especially of your poem, "A New Life", and your gripping post, "The Legacy." The poems you have written about your family history are wonderful, Ayala. There is a book in that history.

Ayala: Aiden is a part of a rich tapestry, and my hope is that he will make his way and his mark in the universe and weave more strands into it.

Sherry: I am certain he will. He has a strong foundation of love under his feet already. In closing, let’s take a look at a poem about your hopes and dreams for this small wayfarer.

THE PLACES YOU WILL GO

The storm rolled in,

the trees were stark,

against the dark sapphire sky,

the roads an endless white blanket.

How quiet it gets

when it snows,

I thought the day you were born.

Love was held in each breath,

in your eyes I discovered

the constellations

of the sky.

I cradled you in my arms,

my heart racing.

I wanted to live,

to love you

through your first scraped knees,

watch over you when you climb trees,

read you bedtime stories.

I wanted to live

to watch your pearly teeth

sprout like limbs of a young tree.

I wanted to guide you to catch

your first fish,

while the seagulls watch in anticipation

waiting to steal it.

I wanted to hear about your first kiss,

when your lips feel like they're on fire,

when they feel soft like billowy clouds.

I wanted to build bridges between

your generation and mine.

Share postcards of oceans I have crossed,

of places you will go one day,

when you grow up to be a man.

Building your own life,

your own future.

I wanted to play games

I had played with my brothers,

when we were children,

build forts out of sheets and pillows.

Dance with you in the kitchen,

the way I dance with your grandfather

when the harvest moon floats in the sky.

I wanted,

I want

your breath to be yours,

your space to be free,

your journey to be one of discovery.

Shape your world

and mold it with your interpretation

and your intention.

Navigate your compass

with true wisdom,

questioning,

seeking,

loving.

Sherry: This is an absolutely beautiful poem, Ayala. So completely loving. Aiden is a very lucky little boy. He is surrounded by love.

Ayala: I am grateful that my son and my daughter in law recently moved to Florida from Boston. They live an hour away from us, but that is so much closer, and it enables us to be in Aiden's life and watch him grow up.

When I am not with Aiden, I long to be. I worry about him as I worried about my children. My thoughts are always with him.

I began writing for Aiden when he was in the womb. As he grew month by month and the app would tell me his size as a bluberry or another fruit or vegetable, I would make up little sentences about it. I register them all in a leather bound journal in which I write Aiden's poems to give to him someday. I want him to feel my heart and know how much I love him.

Sherry: That is so beautiful, Ayala. What a treasure that book will be in years to come. I imagine you want the world to be better than it is, for him, and his future.

Ayala: At the moment the world feels fragile and complicated on every level. My wish is to leave a better world for Aiden and all the children.

Sherry: Humankind has to work hard on this, extra hard right now. Thank you, Ayala, for this sweet and loving look into your life and its joys. Aiden is so precious.

Ayala: Thank you, Sherry. I loved talking with you. I appreciate all the kindness you have given me. It also thrills me to know that Aiden will have this interview to look back on.

Wasn't this lovely, my friends? Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!