Technicalities Aside
Technically, he wasn’t my grandpa,
but I remember:
The fun the family had when my dad
Dated his daughter,
Like “taking pictures” with a spoon
And getting my dad to hold a cup of water
On the ceiling with a broomstick.
I remember helping
“The ladies” in the egg-packing plant
And unpacking bales of egg cartons,
Which we stacked in the old schoolhouse.
We swam in his cow pond—Yuck!
And I caught little bluegill
from the same pond,
Then watched him fillet his big catfish.
He took us golfing
And taught us to replace the turf
We tore up
And let us drive the cart.
I remember that after lunch
He had an ice cream
And melted it in the microwave.
I had mine hard.
Then he took a thirty-minute siesta
And I learned to help load
And unload the dishwasher
And talked about how to fix my hair.
When I was grown up,
He welcomed
Our little family of three
to visit in the mountains.
He took us to see the wild horses
And let me get out of the jeep
While he backed up on the precipice
Because I was afraid we might go over.
Later, at the house,
Grandma shared her brownie recipes
And they told me how they taught
My younger cousins a lesson about giving.
I remember picnics and volleyball
And anniversary parties
With singing,
Especially patriotic songs,
America, the Beautiful
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
God Bless America
My Country ‘Tis of Thee,
But at church
He sang with his sons,
Amazing Grace
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.
Oh, and did I mention?
The bear he carved
With a chainsaw for me
Or the beautiful necklace holder?
He made it from cedar
With seven golden hooks
To hold my jewelry
When I’m not wearing it.
And he made a plant stand for me
From a cactus—
Saguaro, I believe.
It serves well in a corner between windows.
Just a couple of years ago
He cut geodes open with us
And shared what he taught
The youth in his church,
That you never know
When you look at a plain old,
Homely-looking rock
What beauty lies inside.
I remember
The light in those blue eyes,
His patience,
And the love he shared.
Blast it!
Technicalities aside.
He was my grandpa!
