Ma was heavy, but not fat.
Strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly
Sparse, steel-gray hair gathered in a wispy knot
Strong, freckled arms, hands delicate and girlish
Hazel eyes have experienced all possible tragedy
Steps into a high calm—
The citadel that could not be taken.
Healer, arbiter, goddess.
__________
I scrapped together this found poem from the only bit of The Grapes of Wrath that I actually enjoyed: the introduction of Ma Joad in chapter eight. By that point, I'd grown to expect unflattering, uncouth descriptions of characters, so Ma Joad was incredibly refreshing, and her reunion with her ex-convict son Tom was heartwarming and touching. It was one of the least cynical passages of the entire novel, giving this hard-working, selfless mother the reverence due her and allowing her this tender moment with her boy. It lasts barely a page and a half, but by the end of it, I was in tears.
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