Spring will always remind me of my Grandma Secrist.
Maybe it was her fluffy pink and white petunias
that seemed to effortlessly grow
in the green and white flower boxes
that lined her front and side porches.
Or perhaps it was her excitement each spring
that something new, wonderful,
and totally unexpected would happen in our lives,
which it always did.
We counted on Grandma’s intuition,
which budded in the spring,
like the sweet-smelling blossoms
on the knotty apple trees
we climbed in her side yard.
Maybe it was Grandma’s undying love
of all God’s special creatures,
like the stray dogs and cats that seemed to know
they could always find a meal at Grandma’s house.
Just as the Depression era hobos,
hopping trains in Bridgeport,
could count on some food
in exchange for a chore.
Grandma loved to sing, though
her vocal cords never seemed to
harmonize with the songbirds
that cheerfully ate scraps of bread
she left in the morning sunshine
on her side porch, where
we played for hours, and
listened to Grandma’s stories
over and over again.
Many wonderful new things grow
each spring in my life,
but one of the best
is the perennial seed of love
that Grandma planted in me
as a growing young boy.
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Poetic Alchemist 
Thanks Andrew, Amias, and Kathleen. Much appreciated.
I loved both of my grandmothers. Keep smiling Amias and I will keep growing. I was lucky, Kathleen. Andrew, enjoy your grandmother.
how lucky to have such a lovely soul sharing love with you as a child! I could smell the flowers and greenery in her yard as I read this… thanks Don….
Such a wonderful, yet profound, tribute. You are growing in way that makes me smile — real BIG!
This makes me think of my Grandma — I’m lucky, she’s still here. She was only 15 when she had my mother — she was younger than me when I was born. Wow, I feel old now. 🙂
Thanks Pat and Polona. Grandma was a special lady. It’s funny she just came to my mind this morning and the poem seemed to auto-write itself.
a beautiful tribute to your grandmother!
thank you
Don, these are wondeful memories very well expressed!!
Thanks so much Aurora and Floots.
I learned SO much from both of my grandmothers. Even at 56, I miss both of them very much. They were filled with both love and wisdom…and lots of useful wisdom that really made a difference in your life.
grandmas are special people
nice one
This is beautiful.
Thanks Dan. I know you feel the same way about your Grandma Shimp.
Beautiful !!!