Whippoorwill Song of Longing

Where blossoms fall on lonesome wisps of yesterday

When Randy Travis sings of Whippoorwill Holler  

I dream of my Grandma who raised six children 

on a Hill in West Virginia in a Holler where she got 

water from the stream below to cook food on an 

old Wood stove and have enough to bathe their six kids.  

My Grandma "Minnie" has gone to Heaven... 

I dedicate this Poem to her life of Love and Giving 

And also to Grandpa Dave who walked to and 

worked in the Coal Mines of West Virginia... 

God rest their Soul... Amen 

Reviews

[Katrina Mckeown]

Hard times back then Pat, I remember someone mentioning toilets were in had brick hut built in the garden, the weren’t attached inside the house, I’m like OMG that must have been awful especially in the winter months! Don’t realise how privileged we are nowadays Pat, thank you to your Gran and Grandpa for all the work and toil they did and for taking us back on a journey through time in your poem and the insight of privileges we have today. Thank you for sharing this dedication Pat

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Katrina... sorry for the delay... sometimes my computer is cantankerous for a day or so; but finally is cooperating. I appreciate your review of my Grandma and Grandpa's life in the hills of West Virginia. Their six children were very self-taught to build their own home and study to help each other with electricity and plumbing. They don't make people quite like that today; however, our young children grow up to be very talented and well educated in fields that make our Nation stronger and better. Lovely to read your words. truly, Pat

[Katrina Mckeown]

You’re very welcome pat.. best wishes Katrina

[Re-Pete]

a prayerful, loving tribute to a wonderful pair. sound like salt of the earth kind of folks. very sweet and touching. there is a deep, gentle respect that comes through loud and clear. nice piece before i turn in for the night knowing that such people lived and are now in heaven with the creator. good work ... :

[Patricia Wedel]

Thank you Pete... yes, they were hard working people. When the six kids were teens (the youngest ten) my Grandpa had saved enough to buy 18 Acreas of land with an old farm house in Delaware between Dover and Wilmington. No plumbing.. heated with a Wood stove where the pipe went upstairs to the three bedrooms. There was a water pump outside the back kitchen door. Grandma fed the chickens every morning and milked the cow... drank their own milk and churned the butter. Grandpa plowed a garden with a horse drawn plow. He also worked for the railroad with two of his sons. Four of the children built homes on the 18 Acreas, helping each other learn electricity and plumbing. I come rom good stock. Now most are Angels in the Choir in Heaven...
Our World needs to start over. truly, Pat

[Re-Pete]

now that's a family - sticking together no matter what. we truly need to get back to those core values in this ever twisted world ... :)

[Patricia Wedel]

I truly believe that families will learn to live closer together to help each other, as times become more difficult. truly, Pat

[barleygirl]

This is what is meant by picking imagery-packed details so a fulsome portrait can be painted in so few words! This is what poetry is all about, as far as making each detail go a hundred miles thru deep woods with moonshine stills burbling and whippoorwills crooning. I've never heard a whippoorwill! But I have read many historical novels based on these times & it helps me remember to stop whining about my tough life! *wink! wink!* This is simple, straightforward poignant writing that reflects the very nature of these people's lives! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Margie... “moonshine stills burgling and whippoorwills crooning”... that’s poetry from Bluegrass Country.. which I can identify. Always a pleasure to read your reviews. We had a fierce wind this morning in Virginia... and now it is calm and 😎 sunny... Spring and Summer coming up like bread rises with the yeast. Not to forget St. Patrick’s Day. March 17... I will be wearing Green four leaf clovers. hugs, Pat

[Writer at last! Sky ~]

Great souls always finds resting place. Beautifully written Pat, it picture's out everything so clear...
Will always miss Grandpa & Grandma such rare soul's...

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Sky... my grandma fed the chickens every morning and milked the cow. She churned her own butter and made homemade preserves for her homemade bread. Everyone was up early for breakfast and we had eggs from her chickens and Bacon from Grandpa's Hog that was cured and put in the smoke house. Grandpa plowed the garden with a horse and plow. My Mother Edith was a good Cook and accomplished seamstress.
She taught me to sew. Yes, we miss our loved ones and try to carry on. Thank you Sky for your lovely review. truly, Pat

[Writer at last! Sky ~]

I really feel those were the most cherished moment's of life. Real life in real way. Now the butter comes in the plastic packets with cancers following it very next for free. I feel the human's have really lost their way...

It was absolutely pleasure reading your review Pat. Wish to see few more proses like that Pat. Stay Blessed :)

[R.E. Ray]

Pat, I love the tenderness and sincerity in this poem, and the nostalgia. I listened to Randy Travis for many years, and I'm very familiar with West Virginia. Your personal references make the reader consider their own families, homes, and the good and sad times.

I recently traveled through the western part of the state, and I've always loved the culture and people. It's a beautiful part of the country with some of the best people I've met. Thanks for sharing this one.

[Patricia Wedel]

Thank you Robert... a lot of people are well educated at very accredited schools in West Virginia. There are some hair-pin curves on the way up mountains.
When you ride through some of the back roads, people have large porches where they hang their clothes to dry... but not be rained on if a rainstorm comes along. To this day, I love to hang clothes on a line outdoors. With all the people coming into our Country... we may have to resort to going back to some old "methods" of growing food and so forth.
Wild Wonderful West Virginia. Bless you R.E. as ever, Pat

[Dave Brown]

How times have changed
Each house must now have at least two bathrooms and preferably an ensuite in each bedroom, and who walks to work!!
If those pioneers could see how things are now they would be stupefied.
I read somewhere about colonizing Jupiter or was it Mars or (?)
All time clazy

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Dave... we take a lot for granted these days, but we could have difficult times.... perhaps we should plan ahead and look back to the ld-fashioned ways of living. truly, Pat

[Patricia Wedel]

... and looking back to the old-fashioned ways of building a home and planting our vegetables and planting fruit trees. as ever, Pat

[Dave Brown]

This recent virus scare takes the fun out of things
It also took a lot a fun out of our investments which could send us back in that direction you mention
how's that for a quick response!!
New record??

[Patricia Wedel]

Yes, indeed... quite a quick response. I just finished seeing the results from the North Carolina and identify won 55 or so and Bernie Sanders 14 or 15.
Of course there are still many states to proceed.
However, I agree that the Corona virus very serious and life-threatening. Although we may not want to be a Socialist country, but with a Pandemic like this,
we may have to fight for our life. So our Leaders best join the Fight for Life first and foremost. It will take the most wonderful people in its "Wake". So scary... wish it were not so. My husband said that Louis Pasteur found a vaccine in France long ago...
when young women were milking cows.... a rash appeared on their hands (from milking Cows. Louie Pasteur was able to use this knowledge and the Cow to create a Vaccine for the illness that was killing people. My husband called the White House and left a message repeating the story of Pasteour. Not that it would be a Cow... but perhaps another animal is involved, e.g. I heard a week ago on the news that China may know of an animal "involved" in the beginning of this illness. God help us all. Politicians should realize that firstly, we must find the cause in order to create a vaccine. truly, Pat

[Patricia Wedel]

Biden won 55 and Bernie Sanders 15.

[Dave Brown]

There may be a vaccine which was formulated at the end of the SARS epidemic, done in Canada and is now being tested, 6 real 6 fake, which could hurry what seems to be a possible cure
Finger crossing time

[Patricia Wedel]

Thank you Dave... yes we heard a bit about that... reminds me of the saying, “cross my heart and hope to die”. Sometimes my heart skips a beat.. thinking about people dying from this Corona Virus 19 . I pray the Lord our Soul to keep... as we weep. truly, Pat .. Bless you and yours... Amen

[Lydia Shutter]

Such sweet nostalgia in this one, Pat. Our grandparents worked hard and family meant everything to them. We are their legacy. Beautifully written. Lydi**

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Lydi.. yes, our grandparents did work very hard.
They seemed to thrive on growing their food and listening to music from their homeland. Now we are mostly caretakers of our own homes, as well as being Interior decorators and such. Thank you for reading. truly, Pat

[andrew mitchell]

This reads like really hard times back then but they stood together, and look what they have produced, a fine family legacy. Something not seen these days sadly. No one these days likes to travel through the tough times,
A lovely write Pat.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Andrew... nowadays is tough in a different way.
with all the extra people coming into our country, I pray we will have enough land and cattle and food to feed them. Let us pray that they will work hard to rebuild our country. God help us all. as ever, Pat

[Patricia Wedel]

I am the oldest grandchild of this Legacy...
living a charmed life with plumbing and
electricity. Love cooking on a wood stove and bathing in a Creek.