Grandma
GRANDMA
Ashanti Jones
Your round face, wide eyes, full bright smile
“More gums than teeth” of course you always say
“The more I age the less teeth I have” the little strands of grey
Hair not from being old but because of the stress
Feet swollen legs swollen because of a sickness that has the score
3-0 and you are not winning but you are fighting for that point
No matter what head still on your shoulders
You are the glue keeping the family together the stories you tell
Teach us to never give up, sometimes you can give in
But never feel like you need anyone
Let the people want you we use your wisdom to our advantage
Now you are gone we feel at a disadvantage
Your house is the meeting grounds of our family deep breath in
… you smell deviled eggs, steak and rice, dressing, mashed potatoes and meatloaf
Oh we love your meatloaf not ketchup not barbeque sauce
But tomato sauce and a secret ingredient your meatloaf fed
Many mouths kin to you and not kin to you
Blood or not we always nice and never rude to anyone not even the devil himself
What you taught us is don't be everyone's friend but no one's enemy”
Your wisdom guides us like a stream that slowly guides the deep depths of the water Into the world spread blue water known as the ocean
Your words we take in like medication to our sickness that just won't fade away
You live like an ocean full of creatures waiting to be discovered and we
Know they are there but never need to search for them
Your lessons made a soldier a lawyer a teacher you made us you shaped us
To be who we are and nothing could ever stop you
Not a period or any punctuation at all you are the unstoppable impossible to mess with You are my rock that I hide under if Iever feel low
You make my bad days turn into better days you make me feel a type
Of comfort like the one pillow in your bed you can't sleep without your round face, Wide eyes full
bright smile more teeth than gum of course the whole head of grey hair Not from stress but because
you went against the sickness and you lost face swollen Legs swollen everything swollen and the score
is now 4-0 it got the last point GAME OVER