Granny

Granny was an institution a treasure trove of bygone days Laughter and tears, poured from her years her sometimes odd and senile ways

My great great grandma My uncle, brother, sister

and yes bottom right me lol

I had a great, great, grandmother
 still alive when I was a child
She was my grandpas, grandmother
even then she was a bit wild
Born in eighteen seventy eight
on a buckboard in Missouri
She had come a long way by then
she was fit and full of fury

We played cards everyday with her
beating her nearly made her weep
"Poopie, kacky, nanny" she'd say
"looks like it's time for you to sleep"
She'd wake me nearly every night
she returned from playing bingo
I'd play with her, games of euchre
sports of chance and foreign lingo

She would walk wherever she went
eat apples, including the core
Cuss and drink, then give me a wink
as she pulled the cards from her drawer
At times she would regress somewhat
"grandpa quit me in thirty four
Thought me uptight, he wasn't right
wouldn't run rum with me no more"

Her first picture was a tin type
"I was a looker in my day
I turned heads in the finest spreads
back then, I always got my way"
She witnessed many inventions
electric, lights to cars and trains
the first to own, a telephone
where she'd talk through the morning rains

At ninety she and I would watch
as three men circled round the moon
"We'll be on Mars, and then the stars
if I don't kick off pretty soon"
She lived to see her kids away
making sure they were buried right
"Yep" she'd say "I put them away
tucked em in for the winters night"

Once when we were playing football
and the game was getting quite tense
She'd sauntered by, looking quite spry
  I knocked her down, along the fence
She got up and kicked me senseless
too many bananas and beer
"Now you know, how to take a blow
don't ever show them any fear"

Granny was an institution
a relic of our bygone days
Laughter and tears, poured from her years
her sometimes odd and senile ways
She had outlived all her children
and a couple of grand-kids too
 War nor drought, could put her light out 
the toughest broad I ever knew

My family had a checkered past"Damn Revenuers"

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Author's Note

Our roots are almost always interesting. I think in my case I loved the roots to my great great grandmother. She was an institution. Older than Methuselah. I thought she was sister to father time. But she always seemed to take a liking to me.

Reviews

[Pratik]

This was SUPERB! What a nice tribute t your great-grandmother... Even though I don't remember much of my grandmothers ( both of them passed away when I was very small), I can say for sure they indulges in unmatched pampering when it comes to their grandchildren... They are the persons who can spank and cuddle you at the same time and that wouldn't make you feel bad! Your poem truly speaks volumes about the camaraderie that you shared with your granny.. those little details about playing cards, the football match, she witnessing the greatest inventions and journeys of mankind gives you a feel of the flow of time and that old-world ancient charm.... This was a lovely tribute from your side...If she would have read this she would perhaps throw out her arms and say.. "Come Tate, give me a hug boy!" :) Be proud Tate.. This is a jewel of all your writes.. :)

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

Wow congrats Tate :)

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you

[minisla]

Different times, very tough times which in todays world almost forgotten. Legends in their own right.

[Akashi]

It's heart warming and meaningful.

[Veronica Chandler]

Such a delight must have been your granny...a looker back in the day.
I find the most delight and the most wisdom in the ones who stayed so long; I only wish I had paid more attention to my own granny while she was still here. She was here at the time of the stage coach and lived to see technology surpass her imaginings, but no amount of proof would convince her that a man was ever on the moon.

[Dreamer]

Oh my this was the great pleasure to read. I can't remember the last time I just read a poem for reading it sake and enjoyed it- not worried about metaphors or use of alliteration. I just enjoyed it for what is it is. I love it... i love the story and I love granny. You reminded me of why i write... not for perfect similes but because it means something to me. Thank you for this. Much appreciated Tate

[hundi]

wow this is awsome , i also had a granny , and we loved playing cards, 10 point pitch, or just pitch, made me remeber those times , thank u

[redflutterby]

Have you ever read something that made you smile, laugh and cry all at the same time?? Well thats exactly what this poem did to me. I watched my precious wonderful grandma pass last year and she was quite the firecracker in her lifetime. "Nothing better then a cold beer after being on your feet on a hot day, sugar," she used to say. Ahhh, the memories of watching her, Papa and my great aunts and uncles playing poker or eating a bushel of crabs. Thank you...simply beautiful!!

[Frieda P]

A beautiful tribute to one tough broad it seems, love women like that. I never really knew my grandparents since they lived in Italy but I was fortunate enough to visit them once. They are always full of great stories and secrets to our past. Nice work Tate.

[Butch Decatoria]

I have never had a grandmother, it is an alien idea to me. good write

[saunved]

This is so touching, sir! The name of the poem "Granny" had nearly said it all, but you told something much more than what the name alone could have said...now...that's lovely! Do keep on writing more and more poems because they inspire me every time...and they tell me to keep on writing no matter what...

Thank you sir.