What is Charm? by Faith Duggal

We had another community member who was inspired by Sam Parrish's 1899 poetry contest, "What is Charm," which prompted her to write a poem of her own exploring this same topic. Faith is 16 years old and is a Junior in High School. We met earlier this year and she expressed great interest in getting involved with the Museum with this being her first contribution. About this project she said, "I love history and writing poetry. The opportunity to combine two of my greatest interests for this project was an engaging and inspiring opportunity that helped me look at our town with new eyes as I gathered my memories of years gone by and truly thought about what made Southampton special to me." Please enjoy!

You can also click here to see the art project the Children's School did about the same topic.

What is Charm

Is it an ideal or thing

Is it a way of being

Or something that is subjective to the whims of every living thing

I find charm in walking with my mom and discovering little things that to our town belong

Driving looking out the window a passenger can notice many things

The angels on the fences at the old Parish Art Hall

Those little corners like the old fence where tenacious ivy crawls

Discovering new places like the Main Street path with its secret gardenesque countenance that leads to our Southampton History Museum

And just across the street I think one would be lucky to meet the last rays of days light as it gleams through stained glass on the church settled centuries before

Laughing with friends and family at community events

People of all generations coming together in joy

Be it a little league game or our classic Fourth of July parade with its classic cars and children running along

What is Charm but community coming together celebrating our history and what came before

As maybe a romanticist of yore

Though also there is more

Charm can be found in the here and now

Finding small things each day

That put a smile on your face

Neighbors being there for one another

Small acts of kindness each day

Children running around delighted to play

This is where I see charm

In all its subjectivity

Charm can be found in many things

Silver linings day by day