Found Poem: Steinbeck

And since Old Tom and the children

Could not know hurt or fear

Unless she acknowledged hurt

And fear

She practiced denying them in herself.

And since,

When a joyful thing happened,

The children looked to see 

whether joy was on her,

It was her habit 

to build up laughter

Out of inadequate materials.

But better than joy was calm.

Her full face

Controlled, kindly.

Her hazel eyes

Seemed to have experienced

All possible tragedy;

To have mounted pain and suffering

Like steps

         into a high calm...

             A superhuman understanding.

             She looked up pleasantly from the frying pan.

                                                                                    

                                                                                    Into the sunshine.





(The Grapes of Wrath, chapter 8)