162. GRANDMA'S HOUSE

 162.

GRANDMA'S HOUSE

The first thing I saw when Dad turned the car
down Grandma’s street in Merriam Park
was the sky-high catalpa in her front yard.
A beautiful tree, with frilly white flowers
in spring that magically became long,
brown seed pods in late summer.
The only cigar tree on the block,
when I spied it, I knew we were almost there.


There was always an endless supply
of Juicy Fruit gum in the top drawer
of the sideboard in her dining room.
I wasn’t allowed to chew gum at home,
but I inhaled the sugary sticks at Grandma’s.


Grandma had a green thumb,
she could make anything grow.
My favorites were the tall hollyhocks
that bloomed beside her garage.
Grandma taught me to make hollyhock dolls,
clever flower ladies in petal gowns and turbans.


Grandma's gone now, other people live in her house.
That towering catalpa tree is still there,
watching over her tiny bungalow summer and winter.
Life has come full circle, and I’m a grandma myself.
There’s blue-eyed Nora and her sister, Annie,
born when the catalpa tree bloomed.

*comments welcome

The first thing I saw when Dad turned the car 

down Grandma’s street in Merriam Park 

was the sky-high catalpa tree in her yard. 

A beautiful tree, with frilly white flowers 

in the spring that magically became long, 

brown seedpods in late summer.

The only cigar tree on the block, 

when I spied it, I knew we were almost there. 

There was always an endless supply 

of Juicy Fruit gum in the top drawer 

of the sideboard in her dining room. 

I wasn’t allowed to chew gum at home, 

but I inhaled the sugary sticks at Grandma’s. 

Grandma had a green thumb 

and could make anything grow. 

My favorite flowers were the tall hollyhocks 

that bloomed beside her garage. 

Grandma taught me to make hollyhock dolls, 

clever flower ladies in ball gowns and turbans.

Grandma's gone now, other people live in her house. 

That towering catalpa tree is still there, 

watching over her tiny bungalow summer and winter. 

Life has come full circle, and I’m a grandma myself. 

There’s blue-eyed Nora and her sister, Annie, 

born when the catalpa tree bloomed.