Grandmother's Poems

Today would have been my grandmother's 110th birthday!  In posts over the months, I have written about some of her possessions which we now treasure in our home. I've shared, for example, two of her dainty tea cups I have, as well as five of her pretty demitasse spoons.

Grandmother was a loving, graceful, brilliant and talented lady. Handiwork was one of her gifts.  As we were growing up, she affectionately knitted warm, colorful scarves for my cousins, sister and me. All of  her granddaughters also sported solid-colored ponchos when they were very much in style (I had them in white, red and butterscotch). I can remember her teaching me to knit during one of her visits when our family lived in Indianapolis. I was a kindergartener and, together, we made a brightly colored skirt for my Barbie doll!  I still have the child-sized knitting needles in my craft room. She made this afghan for our family, which I'm sure you can deduce was created in the late 60s/early 70s by the color scheme!!

Writing was another gift of hers...and it was a biggie. A hugely talented word smith, Grandmother wrote various forms of poetry and even has a published story. Over the years, she was encouraged to compile her poetry for the family, so she typed out her pages (no computers in those days!) and put together a binder for both of her children and their families. My, how we all cherish that collection of her work!!

She wrote poems about life experiences, both ordinary and dramatic, and even penned a piece for each of her five grandchildren when we were born (mine is framed and hangs in a guest room upstairs). As both an educator and grandparent, she was always supportive and "published" poems her grandchildren would write. Even though we were in grade school,  we felt very special and important to have our works included in her binder. I've always enjoyed writing, too, so that was a bond we shared. I have several of Grandmother's poems memorized, or nearly-memorized, and I have always loved this one, for example, as it makes me smile.

Latecomer

I learned to drive

At sixty-five,

With care, as I was taught;

But I can't deny
As the kids whiz by--

It's later than I thought!


Out of her enormous collection, I could go on and on, but will end with this pretty writing.

Love Gift

Who gives a rose

Gives many things;

Perfume and softness

Like butterfly wings.

Each folded petal,

A wondrous part--

God's handiwork

In its beautiful heart.

                         September, 1968

Last fall I was able to share a post commemorating my grandma's 100th birthday and now this is my grandmother's 110th.

I think it's special that each of these extraordinary

women has had a remembrance birthday since I've

begun blogging!

Enjoy your day.