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Open Poetry #6
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Grandpa Rocked
| Open Poetry #6 |
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Grandpa Rocked |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia 
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He was a frail man Rocked chair-bound Under a folded quilt All day Parked beside a Bed specially equipped For him to drag himself Into and out of Police scanner Scanning all day All night On the bedside table He rocked With white stubble Adorning his face The youngest of his youngest, My grandfather already an old man By the time we were introduced By the time I got my first grandpa kiss on my cheek With his unique twenty kisses per second grandchild kiss with White stubble that tickled We all shyed away But couldn't wait To see grandpa And his pet canary And his police scanner Never watched television Just listened to the scanner Wouldn't play cards of any type Because soldiers gambled for Jesus' clothes Rocked and listened All day All night And kissed his grandchildren With his white stubbled face Painted in oil now and then When he could hold a brush in his Arthritis bent fingers In youth a proprietor of hotels and Restaurants he cooked In the kitchen With the ladies He was dashing on His horse he rode west From West Virgina Until the great depression He was dashing And then he was depressed As lesser men threw themselves From windows at the prospect Of being penniless But a man with hungry mouths Didn't take the cowards way Didn't think himself too good To work with his hands If that’s what it took To feed four hungry children And a wife So he worked at this And worked at that And humbly became a servant To those who still had some money And a mansion And he cooked The French Chef Son of French Chefs And he walked from servants quarters To the estate house Every morning To the kitchen Where he commanded the crew Of servants to the elite Even though he worked Four hungry mouths were hard to feed On servants pay And he snuck some groceries here And there When he ordered the food For the estate A little meat one day Some bread the next Some vegetables Maybe some potatoes But chicken, especially chicken He practically invented fried chicken And with a little help from the grocery boy, Sometimes a little cash could even slip by To help clothe four Beancounters Came to count the beans One by one from every can and jar To every cookie and spoon And things just didn't add up So the estate owners were Justifiably upset that Someone had been taking Their hard stolen money from the kitchen of all places It didn't matter that it was a minor Amount because it's the principle Isn't it always? So he put on his stripes And went to the pen And left four hungry mouths And a wife And another surprise Now there were five A pregnant woman can slip Just about anything Under her dress And even prison guards Don't really want to insult Her integrity by searching around that Delicate area At least not back then So she slipped a dress And a bonnet Along side my mother And went in to visit The dashing young French Chef In his stripes And as the ladies all left That visiting day Nobody noticed There was one extra And grandpa rocked A frail old man Police scanner Scanning all day All night On the bedside table He rocked With white stubble Adorning his face And listened rocking All day And all night Until the day he died. Hate is a dead thing. Who of you would be a tomb? -Kahlil Gibran |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
WOW!!!! This is superb, Rebel!!! You had me hooked from the first word... and I forgot to breathe... so of course I had to read faster and faster till at last my breath escaped with your grandpa. *S* |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
This could be the greatest tribute to a person that I have ever read. An extremely intersesting man and the way you spun the tale made it so real in my eyes I could actually see the old fellow at every stage. Excellent work, rebel. |
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Marina Member Elite
since 2000-02-10
Posts 2245Pickering, Ontario |
Beautiful,absolutly beautiful! Marina |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
Thank you, those are some pretty powerful compliments there... I really appreciate it.. |
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Denise
Moderator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-08-22
Posts 22648 |
Wow! What a wonderful grandpa you had! This is a fantastic tribute to him! Great writing! Denise |
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Meadowmuse Member Elite
since 1999-12-27
Posts 3263 |
Local Rebel, this is excellent writing and a captivating tale. Clever throughout, superb. ~ Claire |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Wonderful writing!! I loved this story...it was captivating. Bravo! |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
This is an incredible poem! I was enthralled! I hope this is true as I was rooting for your Great Grandfather! What an interesting, noble man! ...thank you for sharing this with us! |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
All right... I admit it, Reb.. I had to read this twice.. That's a really good thing.. This is AWESOME..  |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Rebel~ You captured me in a spell that had me listening to the police scanner right up to the end. Absolutely brilliant portrayal. This poem about Grandpa ROCKED ! ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ noles1@totcon.com |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
Thanks to all for the many nice comments -- and yes tis true -- but my grandfather not great although he was great  |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
If I may be allowed one final comment... the sad part is/was... my mother, aunts, and uncles grew up ashamed of him -- and carried that their entire lives.... they never saw the courage, the motives, the man.... I'm glad all of you could see him through my eyes |
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bboog Member
since 2000-02-29
Posts 303Valencia, California |
Local Rebel~ Interesting poem. Did your grandfather let his canary out of the cage? I don't know if he ever did, but after reading this poem the first time, I thought it kind of unusual that you would have the image of the escaped convict with his police scanner, and not have the canary walking about free. But that's just me. A flea-sized quibble- suggest that you describe his eyes. Perhaps they were bird-like or darting around? (It might coincide with the "bird-like" kisses) Just some things to think about. best regards, bboog |
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
Rebel: I think this is the best work of read of yours. Excellent work in weaving a touchingly personal story. Jim |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
Actually the door to the cage stayed open most of the time, the bird had free reign to fly about the apartment. He would put the bird on his finger and tell him to excercise and it would flit and flutter it's wings... it preferred sticking around close by him... your grandfather's eyes -- use that image... thanks... bboog and jim |
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infinat3 sadn3ss Member
since 2000-02-14
Posts 85somerset england |
thankyou for allowing me to imagine a grandfather . i never had the privilage or joy of having a grandfather and am truly greatful to you for explaining yours .He seemed a truly great man. thanks |
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Corazon Senior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 1209 |
can't believe I had missed this one....really incredible writing....I didn't know my grandpa that well, but have a few excellent memories....thank you for letting us see this incredible man through your eyes |
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RainbowGirl Member Elite
since 1999-07-31
Posts 3023United Kingdom |
This is so you sweetheart... Big HUSG |
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