Early In The Morning Poem by Li-Young Lee

Early In The Morning

Rating: 3.9


While the long grain is softening
in the water, gurgling
over a low stove flame, before
the salted Winter Vegetable is sliced
for breakfast, before the birds,
my mother glides an ivory comb
through her hair, heavy
and black as calligrapher's ink.

She sits at the foot of the bed.
My father watches, listens for
the music of comb
against hair.

My mother combs,
pulls her hair back
tight, rolls it
around two fingers, pins it
in a bun to the back of her head.
For half a hundred years she has done this.
My father likes to see it like this.
He says it is kempt.

But I know
it is because of the way
my mother's hair falls
when he pulls the pins out.
Easily, like the curtains
when they untie them in the evening.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Mya Meriweather 19 September 2004

The images near the end of his father loving to uno his mother's hair is my favorite part of the poem.

3 0 Reply
Bijay Kant Dubey 31 October 2018

This poem is pages from the parental diary and it is a tribute too which also speaks of Mother's Day and Father's Day and also the feelings connected with. It is a mom and dad's poem; a mom and dad's memory picitured through.

0 0 Reply
Michael Cochrane 15 May 2016

Very lovely poem early in the morning such memory of ones mother and father I like very much Michael Cochrane new poet.37242

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Angela Topping 22 October 2006

This is a really lovely understated poem. I have just introduced a year 10 class to it and they loved it. So do I.

3 0 Reply
Michael Tonkin 04 April 2005

I have just discovered Li-Young Lee and I shall not let him go. Oh what poetry.

3 0 Reply
Michael Shepherd 18 March 2005

This took my breath away...before I shouted with joy...

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