Loving My Daughter in the Mountains
Hard climb finished,
we clown on the tundra,
my daughter and I,
laughing. I dance,
the sleeves of my
too-big sweater swinging limp
over my hands. She pushes
the bandana over my eyes. I dance
blindfolded, happy,
the water in my canteen
sloshing with my spinning and twirling.
My daughter laughs
until no sound comes and she must sit,
voiceless, on the rocks to recover.
On this day
in this place,
the peaks standing watch,
I love her
and I can only dance it,
my old shoes quick as the feet of a deer
on the grasses.
Marjorie Saiser’s books are available from Backwaters Press. Saiser was named Distinguished Artist in Poetry in 2009 by the Nebraska Arts Council, and part of that award will be publication of a new book of poetry in 2010. Samples of her work can be found on her website.
qarrtsiluni 
Beautiful.
i loved the way you transformed what could be another kitsch i-love-my-kid- poem, one that you can find by the tones in quick internet search, into a dance, nature and simplicity.
i love almost every single line of it…
On this day
in this place,
the peaks standing watch,
this one stands our for me. this what i mean. the line break, the contribution to nature and love that naturally follows..
Ah, thank you. Captures so well the rare air of that place and feeling: “I love her/ and I can only dance it.” Indeed.
Elegant and lovely.
Gorgeous.
So many times I have felt this way about my love for my daughter as well that all that was possible was ” to dance” my love for her.thank you for putting this feeling into words