Sunday, December 15, 2019

"Grandma"




Reposting this poem I wrote a few years back.  It is a fictional poem, one I wrote after driving through Tennessee in December - this homestead "spoke" to me.

Grandma

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  -Maya Angelou

Like grandma’s shawl, the old, worn farmhouse 
tucked into Appalachia's hills always gave me comfort, 
even when spring rains flooded the stream bed, 
more than once licked it’s wet, swollen tongue along the rear porch. 

Black snakes and such slithered from beneath 
seeking higher ground; even the goats and mules
grazed their way up pasture hills.  Frightened me near to death

but Grandma always said, “Have faith” and I swear
if the waters didn’t recede.  Secretly I likened her to Moses,
as at her word, miracles seemed to happen. 

The one Christmas I stayed with Grandma, 
she collected pine boughs, wove them together, 
draped long looping swags across the warped wooden house,
hummed a mix of hymns as she lit single candles 
in each window.  

Beneath thousands of twinkling stars, 
we stood on the winding, dirt road that ribboned past her farmstead
and admired the holiest of nights, Grandma’s threadbare shawl 
securely wrapped about us both.

by Margaret Bednar, December 28



This is written for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Play it Again".  I selected "A Gift of Wisdom from Maya Angelou"   

Also linked with "Poets United - Pantry of Poetry and Prose #8" on December 15, 2019

30 comments:

brudberg said...

What a wonderful Christmas menory. A place a person and the candles in the darkness.. A precious memory with the wonderful pictures.

TexWisGirl said...

just lovely.

ZQ said...

Yes and well written. Thanks
ZQ

Anonymous said...

A very sweet story, Margaret, with the photographer's eye for detail. Thanks. k .

Kerry O'Connor said...

This poem is beautifully written. It has the feel of the oral tradition - a story to pass down to the generations that follow. It also says a lot about family ties, and how and why we venerate our grandparents.

MarmePurl said...

Lovely indeed.

Maude Lynn said...

Really gorgeous, Margaret.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully written memories

Sherry Blue Sky said...

What a beautiful poem, and memory. I can see your grandmother, lighting the candles....can see her wrapping her shawl around you both. So heartwarming, Margaret, to have such memories. The photos are so beautiful, too.

Lolamouse said...

Beautiful poem and beautiful memories!

Timoteo said...

What a sweet lady. You likened her to Moses...Grandma Moses!!!

Susie Clevenger said...

What a wonderful memory.

Jim said...

Little girls adore their grandmothers. I'm glad you wrote this, we have had the treasure of our grand-daughters company this Christmas time. Three weeks worth, on and off four clumps of days.
..

Wolfsrosebud said...

what a warm reflection... and said so well... thanks for letting us all in

Vandana Sharma said...

Good old words of wisdom!!

Magaly Guerrero said...

So much truth in that quote... Grandma's time-thinned shawl can warm up everything and keep it safe. ;-)

Vandana Sharma said...

Good wise old words of elders are our protector!

Jannie Funster said...

That's absolutely beautiful, Margaret. The water licking the porch like a swollen tongue is a wonderful image. And the shawl, of course enveloping you both in love.

Sadly, my grandmother's original place burned down about 20 years ago, and my cousin built a cute little home on the site, but it's not the same...

So glad I checked my spam queue -- your comment was in it. Managed to fish it out, TG, you precious thing you. Thank you for delighting my blog with your presence.

Lots of love and light for this brand new year, and always, to you and that gorgeous family you take such good care of.

xoxoxoxooxo

Sanaa Rizvi said...

This is incredibly gorgeous, Margaret!❤️

Sherry Blue Sky said...

This was a wonderful read. I especially like imagining those candles in the windows. Beautiful.

Wendy Bourke said...

This is just lovely … wonderful words … beautifully rendered. And what a story! My favorite line 'we stood on the winding, dirt road that ribboned past her farmstead' ~ sigh ~

Sumana Roy said...

So many gorgeous images! They seem to blend fancy and reality. "she lit single candles / in each window." We do the same thing (those who want to remain traditional and avoid tiny bulbs) in our Diwali.

Gillena Cox said...

A beautiful nostalgia. I feel the cozy wisdom of your grandma's shawl.
Thank you for dropping by my sumie Sunday this week

Much💞love

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Fictional it may be, but the poem is filled with awe and wonder.

Magaly Guerrero said...

I love how powerful and gentle grandma's shawl feels at the closing.

scotthastiepoet said...

Diamond memeories here Margaret and so lovingly re-crafted back into life. Fresh in your heart forever....

Susie Clevenger said...

The farmhouse inspired beautifully, warm poetry. I never really knew my grandmothers. My paternal grandmother died when my father was a child, and my maternal grandmother who was wrapped up in raising my uncle's children died when I was nine.

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

Just gorgeous--I think grandmothers have a unique opportunity to make everyone feel safe and comforted

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Beautifully imagined!

Thotpurge said...

Secretly I likened her to Moses,
as at her word, miracles seemed to happen.
- beautiful relationship!