a repost from May 30, 2010
My employers are husband and wife Jerry and Khel from Utah. I started working for them as a virtual assistant in October 2009 and we do the office thing online --many, many miles away from each other. We have very good working relationship and they are the best online employers I have ever had so far. Khel and I hit it off well from the start. But the fast-paced, good working relationship I was enjoying with them quickly had to slow down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The work we were doing together had to be set aside some as they got busy trying to find the right natural way to cure her illness. They travelled out of state often to visit doctors and from the audio journal she kept that she asked me to transcribe for her, I could sense how stressed she was. Bothered, worried, stressed, sometimes frustrated -- i sensed all of it in her recordings and my heart went out to her.
On Mother's Day, I sent her my poem "The Dream", which I wrote for my mother --which I regretted doing but it was too late to take the email back -- that poem spoke of what I remember about my mom who passed away when I was three years old. Khel has a son around that age too and I realized too late that it would give a very sad thought to her. I quickly sent her a follow -up email and told her that I just wanted to send her the sentiment of loving a Mother. She emailed back and very graciously thanked me for sharing. She did feel sad about "losing the mother at an early age" -- but she was in touch with reality and fought her battle with cancer openly and bravely.
Khel is an artist. One of her works of art is a big figurine she calls "Delilah" where she had embedded trinkets and glued them in place on the figurine's body. The result was awesome. When I visited her website, I saw pictures of the trinkets before they were attached to the figurine. Three pictures of different trinkets on the table and I was inspired to write a poem (as I usually do get inspired at the sight of a nice picture).
Here is that poem.
I am glad I wrote this poem and it will always serve as a memento of my friendship with my boss, Khel. Her sufferings are over. May she rest in peace.
Delilah's Jewels
keys, coins, pieces of brass
pendants, chains, that shine like glass
belt buckle and brooch, a lopsided earring
a thimble it is, not a tiny bell ringing
a Christmas tree beside a symbol of infinity
odd shapes and sizes, trinkets blinking at me.
i see a letter J, and a padlock do you see?
pray tell, where to find the lock's matching key?
flowers and leaves, no they are not green
because they are coated with a metallic sheen
a bolt, where's the nut?, an upholstery tack
is that a wagon, maybe there's a grass shack?
hoops and buttons and an artist's brush
i bet the brush would make the hound dog blush
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