My grandmother passed yesterday morning after 97 (almost 98!) great years of life. We weren’t exceptionally close and in many ways, about as opposite as could be in terms of our approach to life. For example, she never drove a car and I couldn’t get behind the wheel fast enough, anxious to enjoy the freedom of a $5 tank of gas and two hours to spare after school.
But one area where our interests collided was in the garden. She loved flowers and shared that love with me as a small child. And yesterday, after hearing the news of her passing and thinking over all she meant to me, I found these words floating in my head. I pulled out my phone to capture them so they wouldn’t escape and I could preserve them, like peonies in a press. I’m pretty sure I’ve never written a poem before, so it’s rough, but it’s penned with so much love. I’ll sure miss her.
xo.
I’ll See You in the Flowers
Cold breeze of spring
Like the air walking into your home
Sunshine beams from the sky
Followed by the warmth of your smile, your hugs.
Each spring, I’ll see you in the flowers
The daffodils
With their droopy heads lifting,
Growing stronger in the hard, cold ground
Their brightness singing delicately
Against a dull, blank slate.
I’ll remember you in the miniature roses.
The delicate, little buds
Standing boldly beside the light lime lining
Of your house.
Your soft hands tightly clinch the shears
So I could share in their beauty.
I’ll think of you when I see your pretty plates
With their sweet pink petals
And green leaves
shaped like hearts,
Their soft curves a perfect contrast
To the tough talk at the table.
I’ll see your face when I spot the snow drops,
and the bloodroots,
Walking in the woods
on those cold days
Leading up to the day of your birth,
And the day I became a mother.
The time when, as Dickens said,
It feels like summer in the sun,
And winter in the shade.
When I see the flowers
and feel this breeze
I’ll think of you
Feeling so fortunate
That I was able to call you
Grandma.