ALL ABOUT MY NAME Poetry Series: Deadline extended to June 15, 2015 by silverbirchpress

[Jane Berg]

Here is a sort of competition- or well not really cause I don't think there is a prize but might be nice to write for,
here is my response, just because I still feel it needs editing.

How did you come by your first, middle, or last name? What’s the “meaning” of your name? How do you feel about your name? If you could do it all over (or if you already have), what name would you choose for yourself? How did you get your nickname? Did a childhood or “baby” name stick? We want to know all about your name (or names) — so tell us in a poem for our ALL ABOUT MY NAME Poetry Series.

PROMPT: In a poem, tell us all about your name — first, middle, last (or any combination thereof). Please send a favorite photo of yourself — at any age — to accompany the poem, and provide a caption for the photo.

WHAT: Submissions can be original or previously published poems. You retain all rights to your work and give Silver Birch Press permission to publish on social media and in a potential print edition.

WHEN: We’ll feature the poems and photos in the Silver Birch Press ALL ABOUT MY NAME Poetry Series during June and July 2015.
Email one poem to silver@silverbirchpress.com as an MSWord attachment — and in the same file include your name, contact info (including email address), one-paragraph author’s bio (written in third person), and any notes about your creative process or thoughts about your poem. PLEASE — put all of this information in one MSWord document and title the file with your last name (and only your last name). Write”Name” in subject line of email. Please send a favorite photo of yourself — at any age — to accompany the poem, and provide a caption for the photo.


My piece:

Namesake
“My namesake” you called me, repeatedly,
in that high, thin, distant, American voice,
as if it had been evaporated
by years of hymns.
And I tried my best, not to despise you,
one of the more unsavoury strangers,
I had been served up for.
Stiff, disgruntled, reluctant omens, we had come,
to pay our premature respects,
to your great, great, great, tenuous association;
and however dimly perceived we were, my name,
was a tragic success.
Mom said to roll with it, “We can’t tell her,
it wasn’t intentional; she’s too old to deal with that now”.
As if evidence of another disconnect could shock you?
Nevertheless, I bore the secret,
against you, maliciously
- as we trudged to a dozen
church services across the suburbs of Houston,
per your instructions -
and with such conscious pride of martyrdom,
it would have made
my real regal namesake
turn in her grave.
Today, remembering you and,
an ocean away,
our absence at your funeral,
I look up the term.
“n.
One that is named after another.
[From the phrase for the name's sake.]
First known use: 1646” .
And so, with no small ambivalence,
but for our name’s sake,
I pray in the poor,
stunted way I know
that God was gracious to you, Jane.



The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

[Tom]

Sounds fun Jane. Your poem is very effective too and a mature response to the prompt. I'll come back with ideas for the edit if I think of something. It's very clear already though and the transition through time, spanning your life, works really well. Nice one.