Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Wild Peaches and the River




 She tucked me into bed,
wrapped me in
an age-worn quilt
and I slept like the baby I nearly was.

When I woke,
I pulled the quilt around me
and tiptoed across the old wood floors
covered with braided rugs.

Rubbing sleep from my eyes,
I entered the kitchen
and watched her sitting at the farm table,
with a cup of steaming coffee, slicing a wild peach.

Her hands were still strong then;
and even now I never see a peach,
smell one, taste one,
without thinking of her.

She laughed, her mellow way, eyes crinkling,
when I said how much I liked the sweetness
but not the fuzzy skin which poked
like a prickly moustache against my mouth.

Overheard her saying, later
that she ‘got tickled’
when I’d said the pigs rooting in the pen
looked like they had ribbons in their tails.

When I’d trailed her
to the rabbit cages
and saw a mama rabbit
eat her own baby

she didn’t shield me
from the horror of it,
but let me ask the hard questions
and answered them, best she knew.

‘Fascinating’ is what I’d called it,
when asked about it back home.
And she was, too,
though I never said it.

Except at the cemetery overlooking the river
when I wished her back
to see me enjoy the sweetness in my life,
to bring lightness when it poked;

and because the questions
have only gotten harder.
But mostly, to hear her ‘tickled’ laughter
one more time.




Copyright 2012 Jennifer Wagner

For Grandma.  Rest in peace, we so often rested in yours.

58 comments:

Brian Miller said...

this is heartfelt...she sounds like a wonderful and caring woman...questions have gotten harder...and i imagine she is still looking in on you...

ayala said...

I feel you here...the peach reminds me of my mom too. Yes...what we would give to hear their laughter one more time. Love this, a heartfelt and beautiful write.

Barbara said...

Beautiful tribute. She sounds like a grandmother everyone should know!

Carrie Van Horn said...

What a wonderful tribute to a beautiful Grandma. This is beautiful Jennifer! :-)

Timoteo said...

This one wins the blue ribbon!

Buddah Moskowitz said...

I loved this poem - you captured perfectly the allure of "mellowed laughter" of my / your grandparents. A great write here.

Daydreamertoo said...

She sounds like a grand woman, wonderful 'life' teacher and, this is a lovely, very touching and vivid tribute to her.

Jody Lee Collins said...

Jennifer, oh gosh. What a beautiful, beautiful story.

vivinfrance said...

You have made a wonderful tribute to your Grandmother.

Laurie Kolp said...

Very touching... love the peach moustache.

Mary said...

Jennifer, what a poignant poem. I hear you and the yearning to be able to relive those times again. The second last stanza breaks my heart

mrs mediocrity said...

This is so lovely, so heartfelt, so poignant. She was a treasure. And I bet she looks down on you and gets "tickled" all the time.
p.s. my mom always says "tickled pink," now it will make me smile even more.

Grace said...

This was wonderful and personal share ~ Love the peaches and her not shielding you from the horrors of nature but explaining it the best she can ~ Wonderful tribute to a great lady ~

Serena said...

This is just lovely and so personal and heartfelt. A beautiful tribute and it's uplifting to hear the details, the kinds of things we can take for granted if we're not careful, yet they are the heart and soul of life...

Unknown said...

Totally relate. My gram died nearly two years ago at age 99. In the most quiet and most challenging moments of my life, I miss her most.

Claudia said...

oh she sounds like she was a wonderful woman...not shielding you from the pain but trying to explain it..i think that also speaks of much inner strength...

Anonymous said...

You made me weep ... such a lovely tribute

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Beautifully evoked; you bring her back to life here, real and vivid.

Sarav said...

Whoof--that was a full on goosebumps, thump to my heart. What a perfect scene you painted, and loved the mustache reference--that's exactly what peach fuzz feels like!! So lucky to have had such a wonderful grandma, you made me think of mine :-)

Cindee Snider Re said...

What a beautiful characterization of one you loved! Details to grasp hold of, so I feel I almost know her too, see her sitting in the kitchen slicing a wild peach, you sleepy-eyed and wrapped in the age-worn quilt. And the humor and truth and harshness of life add truth and depth. Beautifully, beautifully written!

Candi Morrow said...

May I just shed a tear with you..more of gratefulness than sadness.

Kathy Reed said...

Lovely tribute to your friend, grandmother...certain lessons learned from someone who made a deep impact.with wistful overtone ;)

Swarnali said...

This is such a beautiful and poignant poem, Jennifer. A wonderful tribute to your Granny.
Love,
Swarnali and Arpita
Dreams n Drama

Susan said...

WoW. Each image from tuck-in to visiting the stone had me in its grip. Your narrative is perfection in form; its two characters so alive in action that I can imagine their eyes twinkling at each other. They were both so lucky to have each other. I am moved, and I am remembering my own trusted friends.

joanne said...

how beautiful your words of tribute and remembering....Losing a loved one sucks...

Jennifer Wagner said...

I believe she is :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

...so true...thanks ayala!

Jennifer Wagner said...

She was special...thank you Barbara!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Carrie, thank you very much :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

What a great compliment, thanks Timoteo!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Buddah...love that laughter...

Jennifer Wagner said...

She was...thank you very much Bren.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Jody, so much.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you viv.

Jennifer Wagner said...

prickly...thanks Laurie :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Yeah...sweet times, they live on in memory though, eh?

Jennifer Wagner said...

That's a great thought mrs! She was a treasure indeed. Glad to prompt a smile :-)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you very much Grace.

Jennifer Wagner said...

You're right about taking things like these for granted...too often I have. It is the little things, like you say, that are the heart and soul of life, then later you realize they are not so little.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Wow! What a strong lady to have lived so long. Know what you mean...

Jennifer Wagner said...

You nailed it Claudia--inner strength--that sums her up perfectly.

Jennifer Wagner said...

I'm honored that you felt it Polly.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Rosemary, like painting a picture this poem does bring her back for me.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks much Sara--glad to bring good thoughts :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you Cindee--your words mean so much.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Absolutely!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you very much katy!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Swarnali--for your visit and your kind words.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Wow, thank you so much Susan, your words are high compliments indeed.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Agreed. Thanks so much joanne.

Anonymous said...

Grandmothers are so special ... thank you for this personal share and the memories/lessons she shared with you. Lovely tribute ~~

Jennifer Wagner said...

They are special, right...thanks for reading becca, and for commenting.

Mrsupole said...

Being a Grandma, I was thinking that I hope someday my grandchildren will have such wonderful memories of me. I do enjoy cooking with the older ones and teaching them will hopefully be a memory they always have.

Your grandmother must have been a very special person to invoke such great memories from you. She sounds amazing and in not shielding you from realities in life is possibly harder than it would have been to had told you a made up story.

Thank you ever so much for sharing this beautiful story with us for this weeks Theme Thursday. Hope you are having a blessed weekend.

God bless.

Meri said...

Touching tribute. . .and I especially liked the peach imagery.

Lisa Williams said...

What a lovely story in this poem, reminds so much of my Grandmother.

Jennifer Wagner said...

You are making lovely memories with them...I think cooking together is such a great way to bond. They will have those experiences with you to draw from in memory and that's priceless. Thanks for an excellent prompt that got me rolling on this--I was going to go another way initially but was flooded with these memories. God Bless you as well, and thank you so much for stopping by and leaving such a thoughtful comment!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks much Meri--glad you enjoyed :-)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Lisa- another thing I think we have in common...very much appreciate your thoughts.