Sunday 3 March 2013

Grandmother's Angels

A few days ago I was enjoying a little twittering about angels, as you do, as a result if which I've been asked to post this. I hope the poem speaks for itself - and will say no more about my grandmother, since she's not here to defend herself!


GRANDMOTHER'S ANGELS:

My grandmother spoke about angels,
they stood at the foot of my bed.
They counted the sins of the daylight;
they counted the sins in my head.

They glared as I crept beneath bedclothes,
sought solace from teddies and dolls.
But they knew of the time when I ate all the sweets;
the time when I drew on the walls.

The time when I farted, blamed Great Uncle Ted,
who was quite unconcerned by the pong;
the time when I failed at my spelling,
the time my additions were wrong.

The time I was late down to breakfast;
when I left my bike out in the frost.
The time when I hid the crisp letters from school
that warned I was weaker than most.

Yes, they saw it all, these angels of mine,
that stood at the foot of my bed.
Did they count the sins of my grandmother?
The disappeared when she was dead.

11 comments:

  1. That was brilliant Jo! It's actually sad your granda put so much fear into you about angels when they are the symbol of love. I want to go and give that small child a cuddle and your grandma a piece of my mind. I really can't believe you would do something as unladylike as farting,lol!!

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    1. Oh I can fart with the best of them, Anne! (And I'm very different from that silent, farting child now!)

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  2. This is so funny!! I laughed and laughed!! I''s the dichotomy between the bibical concept of angels as protective and aident, and your Gran's threaaty ones!! What was it about that generation? My gran used to read me 'Strewelpeter' a horrible German sadistic book and threaten me with 'The Big Bad Scissorman' who would come and cut off my hands because I bit my nails! There is going to be some more poetry, isn't there?

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only with with a grandmother full of strange threats. As for more poetry - I don't write a lot. But if the mood takes me, well, we'll see. (There's one in the archives about squat toilets that seemed to tickle people!)

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  3. I love this. I do hope that the real and caring angels have managed to elbow their way into your life now.

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    1. I don't angels as such, Ros. But I do have wonderful daughters - and that works for me!

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  4. Lovely ...and has made me smile this morning!Your grandmother sounds a character...

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    1. My grandmother as a character - well, that's one word for her.

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  5. Wonderful, Jo. You have childhood fears and nasty grandmothers nailed. Brilliant.

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    1. Isn't it funny how making childhood stuff funny makes it possible to think about it. As for the nasty grandmother, there's many things I'd like to nail her to ...

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  6. This captures a good point in a funny poem. Loved it!

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