Mother's Gentle Hand
after Felicia Hemans
The mother’s fingers soft and slow braiding her daughter’s hair the gentle touch the quiet glow of evening’s peaceful air
The softness of her hands a guide as she weaves the tangled strands into a braid of quiet pride her daughter’s eyes cast down
In this small quiet domestic scene love and care are made serene the world outside recedes from view leaving only tender love anew
The braid a symbol of her care the gentle hand that’s always there
I took the idea of elevating the mundane to the sublime from Felicia Hemans, and applied it to a concrete scene of a mother braiding her daughter's hair, using her characteristic diction and focus on gentle beauty. I also drew from her emphasis on the quiet struggles and beauty of domestic life.