Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Special Feature--Nell Dalton--(In Memory--Born April 15, 1921--Died November 19, 2012)--United States

It is always honor writers from the past as their words have an opportunity to touch writers of the present and future.  I would like to thank Yancy Dalton for sharing his mother’s words with us.                                           Sincerely, Karen O’Leary--Editor

Montezuma Canyon

Montezuma, I had forgotten
How beautiful you could be
In spring, when things are greening up
This is the place for me.

Some find their thrills in distant lands
And some even fly to the moon
But I hear the ‘call of the canyon’
In April, May and June.

Seeking ruins of the Anasazi
and their ancient habitats
I've roamed around on all your hills
And all your sagebrush flats.

I know you were a happy home
To those of ancient lore,
But none before or after me
Could love you any more.

Though I must say goodbye someday
Long after I am dead,
A lonely ghost will walk your hills
In search of an arrowhead.
                      
From Yancy Dalton--Nell Dalton, my mother, grew up in Wentworth Missouri on a farm. Mother moved west when she married my dad.  She wrote poetry as a hobby.  She was hired by the San Juan Record, writing "Nell's Newsy Notes", covering all the news about the town’s people.  A lot of her poetry came out in the San Juan Record.  She also wrote senior news for them later. They held a banquet in her honor and gave her a gift after she retired.  Record noted that a lot of babies were welcomed to Monticello, with a hand-written poem from my mother. Dad was a rancher, providing opportunities for my mother’s poetry in magazines like, The Record Stockman.  I was at her bedside when she left us.  We all loved her very much.

35 comments:

  1. The love of a place shows a beautiful, stable temperament. Some of us who roam the world love many places, not one more than the other. This is a precious poem which will be read by many for decades to come. Nell Dalton, from Missouri, thank you. May you now love heaven as much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For my mother a great big thanks Isha. Many blessings to you.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thank you Partha. Mother would have been moved by your having been moved.

      Delete
  3. Hi Yancy: Thanks for sharing your mother’s beautiful poem. I really enjoyed her tribute to Montezuma Canyon. She was well loved because she cared about the people around her. Her caring shows through her words and her love and reverence for the earth. She is in her heaven held place now. You are carrying on her legacy with your own love for poetry. SuZ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks SUZ, Mother would think you are very special because of how you care. This is legacy you hold in common.

      Delete
  4. I am grateful to whispers for giving attention to my mothers work. The more I learn of her writings the more I love & appreciate here. I did not know until recently, that she welcomed every new baby into the town of Monticello, with a hand written poem. What a legacy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Yancy,

      What a gift to work with you on the feature for your Mother. I'm so excited that her words are touching so many. Her reaching beyond herself to write poems for each new baby gave both parents and the babies grown the words that can't be bought, gems that live on.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
    2. Thanks Karen, had you not encouraged this, I would not known some great things about my mother. My already treasured mother is becoming a greater treasure to me. That is for sure.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  5. Beautiful work. I enjoyed reading it. It has good flow, rhythm, and rhyme. She was a talented lady. I could see her enjoying the beauty of nature. Sara

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Special words to me Sara, Thanks. The more I learn of my mother, the more I love her.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  6. Wow! Great work. Yancy, you are blessed with a family heritage in which yours is an honored place, your mother was a gifted writer and a poet at heart my friend, Emile.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks my great writer friend Emile. Your knowledge of my mother as the writer she is, encourages me as I continue to writ myself.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  7. Now I know where you inherited your poetic genes from, Yancy! Thank you for sharing your dear mum's poem with us. Not everyone needs to travel the world to find beauty in nature. Regards // paul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks dear friend Paul, Your words along with all the other words about my mother, make me feel so good. I do not know if I got any of her great talent, but I know I got the ability to work hard from here example.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  8. Thanks for sharing this lovely piece with us Yancy. Sounds like you were blessed with a wonderful mother and her memory lives on.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Yancy, I really enjoyed reading this poem, it's written so vividly. It's obvious where your love and talent for words comes from.
    Thank you for sharing your mom's work.

    Best wishes,
    Inge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Inge, thanks for your good words about my mothers talent.
      Thanks for your work on whispers. Your the greatest.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  10. Thank you so much for sharing this. It brought me back to the time I spent at Chaco and Monument Valley--my favorite places on earth. I wish I could have walked a path with your Mother. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your welcome Barbara, & thanks for your thoughts. Mom would have enjoyed arrowhead hunting with you.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  11. Hello Yancy, as one who is gifted much needed solace and equilibrium whenever surrounded by nature, this is such a relatable and endearingly charming provocative poem; you can feel the swell of pride and love in your mother as she honors a place of beautiful surroundings which no doubt brought so much joy and great peace to her and a magnificently eternal connection straight to her heart. Obviously she was so smitten with this place her creative flow was endless, rewarding for her and for us lucky ones who get to read one of her pieces such as this one that you shared with us. Thank you for doing as such.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Leslie. Intuitively you see my mother perfectly. Her heart was very pure & she loved her fellow friends so much. I was very blessed with my three sisters & brother to grow under her care & love for us.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  12. What a delightful and charming poem, conveying the beauty and allure of the canyon! Mahalo for sharing this with us, Yancy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so happy I shared this poem of hers Molly. Thanks for your take on my mom. Very much treasured to me.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  13. Dear Yancy, your mother left a lovely legacy for her family to cherish and keep through the ages. Her talent shines brightly in
    this brilliant poem. She instilled her love of poetry in you. Please share her words at PFT. I know everyone would enjoy reading her poetry. It is wonderful that you were by her side when she said good-bye. Thank you for sharing. Blessings, Connie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks my long time cherished friend, Connie. Viewing every thing that is said of this, her poem, is opening my eyes wider & wider about how blessed I am. I will sure share her on Poetry for Thought & perhaps my grand mothers poems as well.

      Delete
  14. lovely work - she was a very talented lady. thanks for sharing, Yancy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jack. Mon was a talented poet & good to her kids as well. What a happy family we are.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  15. Thanks, Whispers and Yancy, for sharing this wonderful writing!
    The beauty of Nature and a loving heart are shown in each line!
    🕊️♥️😇
    James Dean

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank your for my mom, friend James Dean. That you & the other talented poets sees her so well with just one poem, is a great witness to me. She does fit in with good poets.
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  16. Yancy,
    Beautiful poem by your mother. May she be smiling down on you from Heaven!
    Your friend,
    David Fox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks David, I believe she smiles with love on each one of you that had such good words to say. Make her struggles she had much more worth it.
      Sincerly
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  17. Hi Everyone,

    What a balm to see so many of you appreciating Nell's poem. It is the melding of past, present and future which Nell addresses in her words that breathes life into the gift of her poem. So moving forward with her, we look for our space and time. Thank you, Yancy, for sharing her words with us.

    Blessings,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for all your whispers does Karen
      Knight Writer

      Delete
  18. Thank you, Phyllis Babcock, for the following--

    Dear Yancy so lovely sharing your mother's poem. A mother's love is with us always. Thank you for sharing her beautiful words with us. love phyl

    ReplyDelete