Tears fall down, Ancient cheeks, The oak bends, Kissing the dew, cold. Lost without her, Forgetful, Forgets she's gone, Forgets what to put on. Trapped in silence, 80 years come and gone, Memories face, blend, Head shakes with a smile. The children, They make him smile, His silent world, Bright for a while. Head in hands, He remembers, Children, wife, kiss, He cries, "She's a hard one to miss."
This is a poem about my beloved grandfather who passed away 16 years ago today. I remember the day well. I was walking to parents house to grab the mower. Nicole yelled from the deck that my Uncle John had called to say grandpa had passed. As I felt the tears well up I wondered in my heart what he would have me do. I continued on with the mowing, in some small way paying tribute to his many years on the tractor. He passed while working with my uncle splitting firewood.
The first verse is from my memory of him at my grandmother’s funeral a couple 8 months before. He is the oak and she the dew. This man was so strong in my life. To see him bend over the casket one last time and his her cold lips was more than I could bear.
The second verse is about the sadness that comes with someone who has Alzheimer’s. There is also some humor, respectfully. If there wasn’t, we would all be miserable.
The third verse deals with the fact that he is practically deaf from old age and years around heavy machinery and farm equipment before the advent of hearing protection. I can only image what it is like to be trapped in the silence of his mind with all of those memories floating about.
Vere four deals with how he still lights up when he is around the boys and still plays and rough-houses with them. In a way, it pulls him out of that silent world if only for a minute and brings him joy.
The last verse comes from a memory of a visit we had with him after the funeral. He laughed and played with the boys but then he remembered she was gone. He wiped his eyes and said to me, “she’s a hard one to miss.” She is grandpa, she is…and so are you.
My book of poetry, The Last Dragon and Other Poems is available now.
James M. Hahn, Author 