Heart and Home

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


Comments

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! Thank you! So much love and so many happy memories nurtured there.

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