The Service
All the big men, the prominent
of community with dark-blue suits,
a few outta town, and an overall or two
gazed at the sky, and gazed at the grass,
and they all passed Grandma around
which sounds loose but it t'aint.
Grandma after all, is worth sharing praise
and they all took their turn with Grandma
and told of what they love of her.
Several agreed about her chicken
and scratch cake as airy
as the breeze under today
And the little wiry man said
how Grandma came for two months
to take care of his kids - his babies
when his wife had "up 'n' fell down"
the steps and broke her leg
Welling up, he recounted how
she swayed on her legs as she cooked,
and this was what came to most of our minds,
we saw her legs and heard the violin playing
of the man who brought it along,
Grandma, sang softly, or right out loud
as she walked through the day
A secular, or maybe a gospel tune,
and often, some bawdy blues tune
that'd make 'em all smile a while
All of 'em, the salesmen, and uncles,
the school teacher and the paperboy,
the women from her sewing circle,
they'd all come to her for help
or advice, or as often, just a bite.
The kids came running from
fields and woods and creeks
ravenous for a hug and some eats
from her feasting kitchen banquet of
pies 'n' pudding or baked something else
The minister looked at the big men
and said a few passages they all knew
by heart anyway, and they all agreed
as how they'd miss her warm smile
and some knew they'd lost something else.
© Goode Guy 2012-08-22
for Sue 2012-08-23
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