Hello dear friends. I am sharing this work as it had a profound effect on me. The poet weaves her words into an emotional story. This poem tells of a beautiful lady on an intriguing journey. Can you guess the mother’s occupation, nationality and her journey?
My Mother’s Dress
Hamburg was stitched
Into my mother’s dress;
Long hours of labour
Sighed in the seams.
And grace trickled down
Through the pleats and the tucks,
Whilst sorrow was stashed
In the hem of the skirt.
Laughter sprang out
With the fall of the sleeves,
And the lace in the bodice
Whispered of dreams.
The dress rose gently
And danced to a tune,
It swirled and it swayed
With the song of the day.
Over the waters,
Folded and flat,
It shook out its creases
With London’s broad Map.
It tumbled and crashed
With the washing of time,
‘Till sorrow unstitched,
And it sank to the ground.© copyright Jeannette Collette 2018
Let me know what you think. I will reveal all later. Kindest regards Margaret
Picture: family photo of Emma Zena Lossl nee Heitmann circa 1935
M.A. Lossl 
Hmmmm….. very interesting. I’ll be anxious to know more about it!
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Yes, it is a beautiful poem. My guess is that the lady was a seamstress and she to go to London during one of the world wars. So, that makes me think that maybe she was British and had, perhaps, been living in Hamburg. Maybe she had married a German man. I’m definitely intrigued…
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Thank you Deborah. My sister wrote the poem, I will tell her how much you enjoyed it. I know she will be thrilled. You have made a very good guess, but the truth is even more complicated. The poem is about our amazing mother, Emma Zena Lossl. You can read her story in my book, Betweenwhiles: A family between two wars-a true story of rebellion against Nazism (Amazon). Thank you so much for commenting. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
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My guess, she was a Jewess who suffered loss and managed to escape Germany during the Holocaust? Sounds like a possible promise of love in her new country, as time unfolded, she was able to heal, and left this earth without the pain from the scars she bore. It was a beautifully written piece. The words painted vibrant pictures in my mind.
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Thank you for your poetic comment. The Poem is about Emma Lossl nee Heitmann, my mother. Her story is told in my book, Betweenwhiles: A family between two wars-a true story of rebellion against Nazism.(Amazon). While my family are not Jewish, my mother and grandmother, endeavoured to help Jewish families. They lived in Hamburg, and aided families escape via the British Seamen’s Mission. I hope you read my book. It is an amazing story. Mum did die in peace in 2008, having lived through both World Wars. Yet she was always full of fun and joy, and always looking to help everyone she could. Wishing you all the best.
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