Linking with the Sunday Muse for Muse # 143 hosted this week by the brilliantly talented Shay AKA Fireblossom.
Thank you Shay for an amazing prompt this week to lighten our spirits and fire up our muse!!
It becomes increasingly easy, as you get older, to drown in
nostalgia. ~Ted Koppel
Back before we knew that cigarettes could kills us
We lit up a room with a light that no smoke could hide
Making memories that danced across the screen for decades in
time
Hold on to your hat there will be no wine and waltz today
It is foxtrot with whiskey and hearts on fire all the way
These were not my grandmother’s stories but it was a world
she knew
And she held a radiance and courage that older strong hearts
can do
They don’t make movies like that anymore is what she would
say
And hearts like hers are rare to find, but I search for them
every day.
Post Script:
I spent summers, holidays, and my mother’s hospital stays at
my grandparent’s house. It was my true
home away from home. My fondest and most
comforting times were in their home. My parents were older so my grandparents
were even older than most kids my age would have. My grandfather was born in 1899. They had a great influence on my childhood and
formative years. Their experience and
gentle wisdom kept me from falling apart, and gave me joy I may not have known
otherwise. For the first 20 years of my adulthood,
I would dream of that house that I loved so much. I have always believed we can learn so much
from people with experience. Now days I
find, I am becoming one of those folks. “A
person with experience”. Not old, just filled with more stories to tell than I
had back in the day. Now if anyone will listen to them, that is another
story!
Thank you again, Shay, for giving us something to lift
up the mood and boost our spirits. I
know I can speak for all of us when I say, we needed that!!
Thanks for adding notes ... I enjoy learning more of my poet friends’ stories. This was an awesome remembrance. ( was waiting for ‘tango’ to pair up with whiskey and foxtrot. LOL)
ReplyDeleteLOL yes, tango got lost in the shuffle....thank you Helen my friend it is always a delight to see you. :-)
DeleteThe poem was wonderful. Like Helen, I enjoyed the postscript and the story of your grandparents. What special memories you have of their gentle wisdom!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Beverly. :-)
DeleteLovely poem--the radiance is there in the words. And the reminiscence added to it with warmth .
ReplyDeleteAwwww thank you so much Chrissa. Hope you have a lovely weekend.
DeleteThis is great and brought up such pleasant feelings, Carrie. Like yours, my grandparents were born before the turn of the last century. Love the video you included, also!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much my friend! I am glad you liked the video too. I came across it today and thought yes that's the one for this!
DeleteWhat a touching read Carrie. Your love for your Grandma shines.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rob! Yes she holds a special place in my heart!
DeleteTender. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Zander!
DeleteLove your postscript! I spent my childhood listening to the stories of the old -- sometimes from another room. Oh, the things I learned.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charley, and yes I believe you....one can learn more than you can imagine from those with much experience!
DeleteCarrie, i so resonate with your poem and, especially, what your grandparents' home meant to you as a child. My grandma's was for me, too. She is the reason i survived my childhood. I wrote a poem the other day titled Puppies and Their People that says something like this.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for your grandma Sherry! We needed you to survive and share your inspiration with the world. I will head over and read it today.
Delete"We lit up a room with a light that no smoke could hide" - so good!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Qbit!!
DeleteLove your poem and notes. Those happy, glorious memories are the twinkle in the eye.
ReplyDeleteSo very true my friend and thank you for your sweet words.
DeleteReading this made me realize how much I miss my own grandmother. Thank you for sharing the note.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Truedess and thank you .
DeleteCarrie, I liked this a lot. At the beginning, cigarettes, they were a big deal in growing up. I could write a thin book with my smoking experiences, almost half were before I graduated from high school. When I entered college we had "smokers" where the cigarret makers would pass out their wares as samples for us to smoke.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother, Dad's mom, was special to me and she made me feel special. We did not have a washing machine so we went to her house once a week just to wash clothes. Thank you for sharing.
..
Grandmothers are a special part of the life of many of us. So glad you stopped by Jim.
DeleteI love the addition of background. I learned lessons from my grandparents who spoke very little English, but it didn’t matter.
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