Heart and Home
My grandparents always
Sat in the kitchen
They had a dining room
With a table large enough for all
But inevitably
We would congregate
Around the small melamine table
In front of the big picture window
Grandma at one end
Playing games of solitaire
With a glass of vodka and orange
And my grandfather at the other
With his crossword puzzles
And his favourite tumbler of rye and Pepsi
On weekends when we would sleep over
The smell of sizzling bacon
Would drag us children out of bed
With sleep still in our eyes
Grandma and grandpa already downstairs
Grandma cooking a full breakfast
And grandpa slicing oranges with his pocket knife
On cold days we were given homemade chicken soup
With peanut butter and jam sandwiches
And on hot days large slices of juicy watermelon
That we would sprinkle with salt
But the best times
Were the holiday dinners
The hustle and bustle of family
The whole house smelling of roast turkey
And pie…
The best apple and lemon meringue pies
You have ever tasted
After every meal
Grandma and grandpa would sit
In their respective seats
And the kids would do the dishes
While the adults played cards
Drinking and laughing
Until well past bedtime
It was a right of passage
When one of us was invited to join grandpa
In a game of cribbage
Or were shuffled in for a round of bugger bridge
Sometimes we would just sit at the table
Listening to Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw
On grandpa’s old radio
And we would watch the world go by
Many things have changed
But the kitchen has remained
Warm and loving
The heart of our home
Words: ©2020LCR
Image: CCO
Hello! This must be one of the most enjoyable collection of thoughts and words and memories I’ve read in many a day!! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you! So much love and so many happy memories nurtured there.
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