On the front porch with Granny-
Watching her lazily swing back and forth,
Her floral cotton dress dotted with
Spots of dark perspiration,
Her tosseled hair dampened with
The sweat of summer's dew.
Silly giggles echo
From my summer time friend and I,
As we throw pebbles from the gravel driveway
At buzzing bumble bees
Trying to steal sweet nectar from Granny's flowers.
Our dirty bare feet
Rush us to grab a fishing net
Just in the nick of time,
To greet hummingbirds that flock
Around Granny's pink crepe myrtles.
Mischievous laughter from silly girls
As we watch the scarlet wings flutter by
Lightening quick, too fast for untrained hands.
Then suddenly Granny's annoyed threats
Thunder above our loud laughter, and
Capture our brief childish attention,
And we watch her lazily swing
Back and forth, holding
A thin wooden twig, swooshing it
Over the hem of her floral cotton dress
As if to frighten us with the threat of lashes
Upon our tanned little legs.
We nearly believe her,
And we sit quietly for a moment,
Which seems like forever
Exchanging playful glances and
Whispering silly nothings,
Sweeping the dusty wooden porch
With our dirty summer feet,
While we watch the return
Of hummingbirds and bumble bees
Shamelessly steal the
Sweet nectar from Granny's flowers.
In Loving Memory of my Granny,
Susie Johnson
Originally written by Susan Bourgoyne,
July 7, 2010
