Enlighten Radio Presents
A Coal Country Requiem
Ruth MacQuade, -- a retired federal prosecutor turned short story writer and poet now residing in Shepherdstown --- joins us to share 3 beautiful poems closely tied to her West Virginia coal country upbringing in a family of 15 children.
Broadcast LIVE Wednesdays, 10 AM on https://player.enlightenradio.org
Hosts: Janet Harrison, John Case
This Episode Recorded July 23, 2024
The Making of a Family Portrait
by Ruth MacQuade
It was to be a festive affair.
Making a family portrait at the Greenbrier Resort.
Painted by the famous portraiture artist W.H. Anderson,
who, before us, painted the portraits of Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon.
Preparations for the portrait were hectic.
The girls needed permanents and matching dresses.
the boys, starched white shirts,
Mother, a new dress, Daddy, a new suit
Designed by my father, it was to be a symmetrical portrait.
The older children to be shown in four sets of three.
The youngest girl in the center, between my mother and father, and
the two youngest boys, at the bottom, facing each other.
Finished, the large 5-foot square family portrait
hung on the wall of my parents living room.
Proudly shown to anyone who wanted to see
the number of happy and healthy children my father sired and my mother reared.
But hidden behind the smiles are
the fearful face of my mother in the presence of my father,
the wincing faces of children caused by the belt lashing of their father,
and the sad faces of two brothers who died by suicide.
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