Monday, March 23, 2015

Neighbor


S.O.L. #23 out of 31
More Than A Neighbor Next Door

I’ve told you before
‘bout  the neighbor
next door.
a grandpa’s age
but his own
are far away.


he gets out and about
walks each day
even takes my boy for a turn
on a warm summer morn’


watching his trains
whizzing round,
whistling long,
chugging out their steam


my boy learned to climb his tree
we don’t have one you see,
didn’t bother Gene
when a little bark gone
just covered it with  tar
like nothing was wrong


lets us taste
his homemade molasses cookies
then gives us
the recipe and ingredients
to make it on our own
knows its much more fun


grabs the “buttons” of  bellies
that the little children show him
giggle and run away

when he sees girl has a new little playhouse
out back
a pot for pretty purple plants and
a mailbox  so white
he writes her first letter
sneaks over, stuffs it in,  that night


mid summer
teaches us to cut grapefruit
so the kids lap it up
all gone.
In December,
delivers us
a case of fresh grapefruit
from Florida

keeps all the pictures
the children made
proudly
displayed


praises me
for being
such a good mom
reminds him
of his own

love seeing all the birds
that he so kindly feeds
all  winter long
and we will feed  “Gene’s Birds”
when he is gone

sledding down in winter
his smallish hill
slip-n-slides
in summer
Splish…
splash….
spill

sticky fingers and blue lips
tell me
they’ve seen
Gene

In  denial
and it won’t be same
I don’t want to know
that he has to
go

2 comments:

  1. Beautifully written! I can see all the activity! And feel the emotion! I love Gene!

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  2. Would that we all had such neighbors. Gene embodies what a good neighbor should be.

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