Museum

From 1969 to 2015
I took my classes for
A Saturday field trip
To the Ney Museum
So they could study
A woman a hundred
Years ahead of her
Time, Texas foremost
Sculptor in the 1890s
Making marble move.
Ney tried to mold her
Son Loren but held
Him too tight until he
Shattered and after
Her death he broke into
Her home to steal art
To trade for whisky.
His bust looks to one
Side to avoid his
Mother so her friends
Called the bust the
Young violinist.
Ney learned
The hard way
The cost of
Trying to impose
Her will on her son.
I told my students
This story as a woman
Held her freshmen son
By his shoulders forcing
Him to listen to my
Talk on Ney.
She understood my
Story of Ney and
Her son and let go
Of her son’s shoulders,
He looked me in the eye
And breathed deeply
But still paid attention.
I only spoke to them
A few minutes in each
Room of Ney’s house
Now a Museum.
I did not want
To hold them
Too tight.