Reminisce
Oh, how there are times when we reminisce
To think of a pleasant past is so often bliss
Remembering those lost long ago
To honor them through poetry and prose.
I remember growing up in a small town in Illinois
Walking to school and playing with toys
We'd go see my grandmother every Sunday
A kind elderly woman I love to this day.
She passed away when I was but eleven years old
February of '81 and it was so cold
Hers was my first experience with death
And it was so hard on me for I knew not what to expect.
In her later years, she led a simple life
Reading, watching TV, visiting with friends
She also kept a diary every year since she was a little girl
The oldest I remember seeing was from 1912.
That's the year she turned 14
I remember her house and while it had modern plumbing
The wash basin in the laundry room had a manual well pump
Seeing something like this indoors, I thought was rather funny.
Then there was the dreaded closet upstairs
We were always told a purple ghost resided there
So never ever open that door
To this day I don't know what she had in there.
Just a few feet away, there hung on the wall
An old child's slate, which had been there so long
I remember grandma telling me it was there when
She and grandpa moved in (he died in '71, I've no memory of him).
She showed me the slate and turned it around
And the writing that was there was simple, yet profound
It read, "This slate belongs in this house, Dec. 18, 1865"
Grandma never wanted it removed
But after she died, someone had sticky fingers
We never knew who
Her house was old, built in 1839
And I'll always remember the wonderful times
That I had playing there when I was a child
Of loving my grandmother and seeing her smile
One of my favorite memories is of her Rhubarb pie
And I still remember how her kitchen smelled while it was baking.
If only I could see my grandmother again
So many years have passed that I barely remember the sound of her voice
But if I could see her now, I'd just want her to know
That I love her very much and still miss her so.
But I know that one day I'll see her again
When I too pass away
And Angels guide me to Heaven
I love you, grandma.
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