Grandma

Sitting upon my grandma’s lap, I looked into her eyes, the crystal blue that
mirrored too the days that passed her by.

I felt the softness of her arms, the warmth of her embrace, the kindest smile I’ve
ever known, gently rested on her face.

Her hair shined bright like silver with sparkling tinsel hues that caught the sun
and warmed us both on that Sunday afternoon.

She sang to me ancient lullabies as if I were just a babe, her voice was sweet and
practiced, often humming each refrain.

Without a thought I’d asked her, never thinking it was rude, a question that was
on my mind, the sweet unguarded truth…

Grandma, Will I be old and wrinkled too?

Will my hair turn white or grey?

Will I move slow and smile like you, when I get to be your age?

Will my clothes hang big and baggy?

Will I walk without a cane?
Or will I be more like Pop-Pop and have a funny kind of name?

Does it hurt you when the colors fade and the wrinkles start to crease?
Will I wear shawls and sweaters with knitted booties on my feet?

When I close my eyes, will I just fall asleep, no matter where I am?
Will you still come and visit me? Will we still be best friends?

She answered me without a doubt and with a chuckle in her eye.
She smiled and kissed me on the head as she started to reply…

Oh, why… when you get to be my age it seems, time just goes so fast.
Your youth is there one moment, then tomorrow it’s the past.

Yes, you’ll move a little bit slower then… and you’ll get tired too…
and even when you look like me, you’ll still think and talk like you.

You’ll groan and moan when you sit down and bend to tie your shoe.

Your thoughts just won’t work as fast and sometimes you’ll worry too,
but the memories that you keep inside will replay within your mind.

When you’re my age, I’ll be gone, but you’ll remember me in time.

You’ll think of all these songs we sang and the way I make you feel.
You’ll think about days like these and suddenly they’re real.

The memories make us who we are and our love will never end.
Even when I’ve gone away, in our hearts we’ll still be friends.

Take the time to make these memories with your children and theirs too.
Show them how much you love them so they can stop and think of you.

You never know where life will take you or where you’ll turn along the way.
Think about those times you’ve shared,
like you thought of me today.

by D. Ryan Lafferty

Literary Crumbs: Poems & Short Stories to Savor by D. Ryan Lafferty