Sestina - Elizabeth Bishop

I just don't really get this poem. It's kind of weird. I like the idea of a Sestina, and I may want to try it sometime. I kind of like this feeling of tranquility and peace of coloring on a rainy day while listening to my grandma bustle about the house. My grandma just died last week, and this kind of scene is something I'm going to cherish for the rest of my life. When I was younger, this would be exactly what a rainy afternoon with my grandma would entail. My grandmother was big on arts and crafts and right now, I can actually picture a specific day when we were doing this sort of thing.

Although, I would really like to know why the grandmother is crying. I like how Bishop relates everything back to the tears, but I really want to know why the grandmother is crying. It makes me wonder if my grandmother ever cried or tried to hide her tears before me. I can't imagine how that must feel...to be crying and just want to burst out and let someone know how you feel, but you can't. I hope my grandma wasn't sad. :(

I like the metaphor Bishop uses for the kettle, of the kettle singing. People usually find that noise annoying, but I've always liked it, and now I'll be able to explain why. And I love the way she says that the tears dance (15) ... I wrote a story not that long ago that described tears as "trotting" and I submitted it to The Normal Review...people were making fun of that statement, but now I see I'm not the only one who tries to personify tears and give them human-like actions.

Is the grandmother a happy kind of sad, knowing that for her also, this will be the type of memory she will cherish for the rest of her life, which chances are, may not be too much longer?

I feel bad for the grandchild. He's in his own little bubble...kind of like A.D.D. ... doesn't he see the grandmother crying? Well I guess not, because she's trying to hide her tears.

But I really really want to know why she's crying. This is going to bother me.