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Red Hot Mama


Prompt: Red, Friday Writings, hosted by Poets and Storytellers United

I don’t remember whether I gave the funeral home’s makeup artist a tube of Mama’s favorite lipstick. That was six years ago. I hope I did. Lipstick completes a woman, so I think Mama believed.

Mama’s Lips

Red,
true red,
was the color

Mama
traced precisely
filled in carefully

pursing lips lightly
blotting away
red.

A final look,
deep breath.
Ready.

-30-

Head to Friday Writings to read what other participants are writing this week.





Comments

  1. Oh, you bring back so many memories. How many of us watched our mothers do exactly that? If that's your Mama in the pic, she knew what suited her!

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    Replies
    1. Cool, Rosemary. Yes, that’s Mama in the late 1960s, proudly smiling at her job.

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  2. Getting the right shade of red was important, too, and it looks like your mom achieved it beautifully. :)

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    Replies
    1. She had several shades of red. She was disappointed that I wouldn’t wear lipstick at all. It felt gunky on my lips and I didn’t like how they made my lips look huge and bright like a clown’s. Wow, first time I said that outloud.

      Delete
  3. She wears it well. I see a hint of plum in the red. Do you remember the song "lipstick on your collar?"

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    Replies
    1. Ha! That’s a great song. Good for her! I went and googled the song.

      Delete
  4. My heart skipped a little beat ... the description of your Mother applying lipstick brought back precious memories. Yes, yes .. the applying and the blotting.

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  5. Isn't it interesting how some things you just forget? I'm sure it was a hard time, so you probably blocked some of it from memory. Pretend you did remember or someone remembered for you.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Liz. 80 percent of me is sure I did. I know I kept her rosary out of her hands, which was a huge no-no for Mama.

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  6. I like your form, I forgot the name, based on a mathematical progresion. My mom didn't wear lipstick in my day but I have other memories. She died in 1999 at age 88.
    Thanks for peeking in on me, I am behind the eight ball this week.
    ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jim. The format is called hay(na)ku. 3 lines, one word, two words, three. Also, vice versa. 🙂

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  7. Have to have the right colour and shade right, isn't it? :)
    I like the format of the poem, brief and precise.

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    Replies
    1. Most definitely, Mama had it down.The format is hay(na)ku invented by poet Eileen Tabios. A verse is 3 lines. One word, two words, three. Can also go the other way, 3,2,1.

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  8. Your note before the lovely little poem made me choke up... a beautiful photograph too.

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  9. Never personally had the experience, but have witnessed the ritual often. Well captured… 🙂💄✌🏼

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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