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"

$12.50

To see my books click on the pictures to take you to them

$12.50

$12.50

 

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.. :)

[The Refined Poet]

you have managed again to bring us into your world and share your personal life and perspective on the lives of others (grandmother in this case) in such an endearing way. excellent write.

[Valentine]

Wonderful..I never saw my grand mothers..my moms died when she was 7, my dads when he was only two..mom and her mom were both published poets..I guess I inherited a bit of them in me..Kathie

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

Tate, this is soooooooooo wonderful. I bet your grandma was a fabulous person, you have written about her in such a grand manner.

[Baby Ricochet]

Tate you are hands down the master of the poetic story. Outstanding work my friend.

[Robbie~xoxo~]

Oh My! She sounds like my grandmother! lol
Tate, this made me smile BIG...and giggle alittle bit too! But most of all, this piece warmed my heart as grandmothers do... (didn't mean to rhyme)
The very minute the song came on it melted my heart, and when I started reading this, I knew it would be special. Thank you for sharing a time in your life when your Granny was very much present. Great write!

[Mark]

I never knew any of my "great-greats", but I had a great-grandmother, Berah Anne (aka Mammy), who was a precious light to my young life.She was only five months short of 100 when she passed; I still make "her" teacakes a couple times a year--it was the first thing I was taught to cook!

[Extant]

I'm, unforunately, slightly always lost concerning 'roots', especially when given credit to grandparents. I never lived close to my grandparents, my grandmother on my mother's side died of Alzeimer's when I was six, then it was her husband years later, probably the closet grandparent I had. In truth, the grandparents I was left with were far away and bitter in many aspects . . . Besides that, I don't come from a place with traditions.
I read these lines with a certain sense of disbelief, I can't see any of this, it's simply beyond me.

[Rene Velez]

i like how your poems have been about an individual lately, it allows one to enter your circle, know more about the man Tate, well written poem.

[Rain]

Tate,
This is "real" writing. It shows your ability(talent) to give soul to the characters you're writing about. You made me love her. :)

[Dayran]

Its a great experience to have known someone all the way to 1878. Makes history come alive as if you knew the fellas who lived then.