Mamma Didn't Come

Restored poem...

It was warm that day

I found the catseye marble

In the mesh bag at the

5 and Dime off Flushing Ave.

I remember looking longingly at

My grandmother and my brother

Hushed me before I could say

“Granny can I have” cause

She was tired from another long night

Of changing stained sheets at the Waldorf on Astoria

And scrubbing linoleum and chrome to pristine

And ushering us across the hotel from room to room unseen

We shared a bed she put a quarter in to make it vibrate and we slept

Like co-conspirators wearing our green buster brown jeans carrying

Our converse since we had to be there cause we couldn’t be home alone

In the new neighborhood in queens.

 

Mamma didn’t come get us again.

 

Granny’s eyes were weary red, 

The color of the vinegar

In a jar of pickled pig feet

And my brother knew better

Than to speak when she was barely

On this side of a dream and prayer words

Slid from her lips softer than a sigh

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus why?  Why?”

My brother shook his head and asked “how much more you need to buy?”

“Just a dime, just a dime but Dee, I woulda had it but

 

Mamma didn’t come get us again.”

 

We took Granny’s bags

Struggling under the load cause she

Has been carrying us for 3 years

And she hailed a gypsy cab that squealed to a stop

Shuddering on bent rotors and resting on the curb

Haphazardly

The book on his seat guaranteed to teach

English as a second language

And he was a darker shade of black than me

“Hot garbage” my brother snickered and I laughed

Cause now as an adult I would say the cab smelled like a*s

On fire

But Granny was to bone weary to notice

Or she just needed to get off her feet

Cause she didn’t say anything about her car and the fact

We waited at that store for over an hour and

 

Mamma didn’t come get us again

 

S~Savant

 

Author's Note

this is a restored poem....

Reviews

[Charnell Hall]

Poetry isn't something that I read on the regular but I did enjoy this. Great work.

[Vita Rose]

So touching, raw language, nothing to critique.

[Everett DeValle]

I really enjoyed reading your poem, and it was gripping and sad...raw language...I'm a huge fan of free verse, I use it all the time because my voice can be So Free...even though, I'm really a good rhymer and know other styles...free verse is my Love. There's really nothing to critique, I wanted to leave a review because I appreciate the honesty in your voice.

[Natasha]

This is such an amazing composition.

[wordplay29]

U just took back to my past for a sec ..good write

[Brooklyn Darkchild]

Tho I first read this quite some time ago your power to bring me to tears hasn't changed. Hope you are well.
BTW: I wouldn't be Darkchild if I didn't point out that you used the wrong "to" 5 lines from the bottom. (Granny was "too" weary to notice)
Love ya!

[Charles]

Loved the respect for the greats and this poetry.

[Nariscia]

You took me there. I love the simplicity of it...very well done.

[TL Boehm]

what ever happened to you.

[Barbara Walker]

aS A GRANDMOTHER, WHO IS THERE FOR HER GRANDCHILDREN WHEN THEIR MOTHER CAN'T/WON'T, THIS POEM REALLY HIT HOME! YOUR IMAGERY WOULD HELP ME FEEL IT, EVEN IF I HAD NEVER FELT THAT WEARINESS MYSELF, AT TIMES. WE DO IT, BECAUSE WE ARE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. tHIS GRANDMOTHER IS A BEAUTIFUL, TIRED SOUL....GOD BLESS HER. WONDERFUL WRITE! EYEPOETRESS