Candy Apple Red

On By Michele LeeIn Inspirational People, love, nature, Verse
There she goes
bumping down the road
wrapped in candy apple red

Silverado short bed
windows down, music up
blond lift held with Aqua Net

Nice truck!
more than one said
not talking wheels, I suspect

She complements
her spring birth month
bull strength and stubbornness

She’s no bull
in a china shop though
with finer things she takes care

She can use
her superhuman fortitude
to move mountains, should she choose

A strawberry blond
with sky-colored eyes
washing away freckles, she did try

Raised on a farm
in the American South
teased by kin, odd one out

One of seven girls
plus three boys, made ten
beauty and laughter their defense

She outgrew red
but the fire never left
if crossed, she’ll make you regret

A shared birthday
she and her first born
his girl makes it a tri-celebration

Talented hands
that once picked cotton
can make anything…

     a cake,
       a dress,
         costumes that impress,
           a baby sleep,
             a genealogy tree,
               a house if need be

Shy and timid once lived
under an attractive, but tough shell
life forced her to speak up and sometimes yell

A dogged determination
she will get it done on her own terms
even if the doing takes the rest of her days

Under hair now flecked with gray
lives the fiery spirit of the strawberry blond bouffant
bumping down the road in her candy apple red Chevrolet

Written for my mom. 🍎

I rarely repost but for my mom, women ancestors, and for the mother who nurtures all of us, I am happy to revisit two special poems. My first poem (above), “Candy Apple Red” was originally published in May of 2021 and my second poem (w/photos), “Motherly Strength” (below) was published in May of 2020. Both written as a Mother’s Day tribute. If you recognize these poems, much gratitude to you for following my writing journey.💗

Happy Mother’s Day! 💐

Motherly Strength
Turn and see an ancestral parade of women standing strong
Delivering the next hand to hold, the next tale to be told
Surviving unbelievable stories of hardship and endurance
Beginning with the most miraculous of all – the journey of birth
An expanding line of women, too many to name, too many to know
Unknown women who left long ago, yet, through us their blood still flows
Descending from many women, each of us, but only two shared their breath…

click here to finish reading poem

🌵🌸🌵🌸

Timing is everything! I gambled, driving back to Lost Dutchman State Park, hoping to find some flower-topped saguaros. I got emotional while hiking through the desert, over the sight of a landscape sprinkled with blooming white. I hit the jackpot, or should I say flowerpot? haha I will share more photos in future posts. Enjoy the preview!

Reminder: Monday, May 15th is the start of the “What moves you? (blog challenge). Artist Sammi Lee and I hope you’ll join us! Should you choose to participate, please link back to my original post. I also suggest emailing me through my contact page, so I don’t miss entering your blog in the Mintaka Collection GC drawing. Have fun and good luck!

Thank you for visiting and reading! 🙏🏻Be well. 🌻 Michele

Apple photo by Vevchic

Other photos: my mom and little me, me and little Sammi Lee 💞 Being Sammi’s mom is my life’s greatest gift!

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

97 thoughts on “Candy Apple Red”

    1. Thank you so much for appreciating a second showing! 😊 “Soulful photos” – beautifully described. 💞🙏🏻 That cactus photo… the heat was on, and I was done, headed to my car, then that particular bird-topped saguaro caught my eye. Made me trudge through the prickly to get closer. Was worth it! Wishing you a wonderful Mother’s Day full of love, laughter, and beauty! 💐

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    1. The weekend is off to a lovely start – yoga and qi Chong in the park with other women, followed by connection. Healthy and inspiring! 🧘🏻‍♀️🌳💖 Wishing you lots of sunshine and smiles, Thattamma, beautiful momma! 🤗💐

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  15. Two very different, but delightful and inspiring Mother’s Day poems, Michele! I enjoyed “Candy Apple Red” for its portrait of your spirited and colorful mother. The photos of her, you, and Sammi are gorgeous! “Motherly Strength” is very inspiring. I like the juxtaposition of ancestral mothers with Mother Earth,

    The photo of a dove on a blooming cactus is stunning! Though I am not a desert person, it is easy to appreciate the beauty of this photo! I look forward to seeing the other photos you took.

    Happy Mother’s Day, Michele! ❤

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    1. I am not a desert person either. Birth brought me here. 😂 I appreciate her beauty, especially this time of year, but I like hugging trees and hearing and seeing swaying leaves. 🌳 I think winter visitors have it figured out – best of both worlds!

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful reading and responding to my posts. I enjoyed reading your response and engagement with my words and photos. 💗

      Happy Mother’s Day to you, Cheryl! 💐🌊

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    1. They are special ones, born from love and reverence. 💗 Thank you for reading and appreciating! My mom is very much alive… cooking up some deliciousness soon. 😊 Hope you’re enjoying your Mother’s Day weekend! 🌞 Best wishes on your book tour! 🌟 Love that vibrant cover! 🧡

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      1. Yes, I feel them both. It’s very much appreciated.. Oh awesome.. that’s good to know.. have a great day. Thanks so much.. my fur babies are blessing my feet while I write and I’ll soon see my mom and one of my daughters for brunch.. Enjoy! Thanks so much my friend!!! can’t believe it’s here! ❣️

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  20. Wonderful poems Michele! I especially enjoyed “Candy Apple Red”, which felt as bold and spirited, and lovely as the way you describe your mother. The photos of you and she, and you and your daughter are also so neat! I bet it’s special to see these two similar photos side by side. Also, I love the cactus photo! I’m always amazed at the flora over in your neck of the woods and can’t get enough. 🌵 Happy Mother’s Day!

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    1. You are very observant! It was sweet to see these two photos side by side. Made me think about lineage, and women, on a more global scale. Very special! 💖 Thank you so much for your reading and for your thoughtful feedback today. Just wrapped up a delicious lunch with my mom and reading your thoughts about her poem is the icing on the cake! 😊 The Sonoran Desert is spectacular in color this time of year, yes! 🌵 Thank you, Samantha, it has been a lovely day. 🤗

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  23. I sat in the early morning light and read your poems on Mothers’ Day, Michele. A perfect way to start that exceptional day.

    My mother died in childbirth, so we never knew each other. Her mother raised me and, in due course, she and my grandfather adopted me. My adopted mom was a quiet, strong, competent, diligent, wise, force of nature. She could handle a four-horse plow rig, change the flat on a split-rim wheel, drive a Model T school bus in the Minnesota winters, bake the best cinnamon rolls in history, hunt pheasant and geese with the best of them—and raise a grandson after spending 25 years raising four of her own. Get in her way, and you had a challenge on your hands. Sound familiar?

    Her great-granddaughter, Andrea, was denied a long life, but the two of them remind me of each other in many ways. Mothers’ Day is sometimes a bit rough on her mother, my wife, Mary. This year was better—not because thirteen years have passed, but because some really cool women (and a couple of men) went out of their way to remind her how special she is.

    So, yes, there was a lot to celebrate on Mothers’ Day. Thank you for setting the stage so well this year.

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  25. Oh wow Michele my Belle, this is such a heartwarming tribute to your mother and I know she must be honored by your heartwarming sentiments. You are an amazing daughter and you are obviously falling in her footsteps with your loving and maternal skills with Sammi. I hope you had a FANtabulous Mother’s Day my Dancing Queen. May this week be more spectacular in your new pursuits. Sending you honey bunches of hugs, love, and smooches! 😍💖🤗💐😘

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