Poems for Grandfathers

My Papaw

The look of your tan face,

The smile that lit up the room,

And those baby blue eyes all made you my Papaw.

The times you would come over and visit all those

Sweet times of going camping,

Swimming and those summer nights

We always enjoyed your company

You got sick the cancer had gotten bigger

And the time left to spend with you was limited.

The night you left was traumatic.

Knowing that I would no longer see you tore me apart.

We all sat there trying to be strong it was very hard,

All our strong faces wore down to sobbing heaps.

the night my heart was crushed,

The funeral was long and sad

The sadness was like a virus,

No matter what it would find you.

I asked mom and dad what had happened

My question was answered with

He's in heaven looking down on you

It scared me at first then I realized you never left,

You're in my heart forever and always

-Alexa

Bye Bye Papaw

I remember spending time with him

In the garage crushing cans.

I remember the crinkle of the cans

As they got crushed.

I remember helping him

Wash Mamaw's bright red car.

Soapsuds flying off

As we sprayed it.

I remember the times he was in the hospital.

Him looking sad and helpless

Hooked up to all those cords

As I watched him in pain

Making me feel worthless.

I also remember the kitchen

In my mamaw's house

The day my mom said,

"He isn't coming home."

-Cody

Fishing With You

The long windy dirt road.

The sweet sound of the Beach Boys'

Sound of Summer.

You're tall

And you always [wear]

Your tan pants

And your "I'm a Grandpa" shirt

You got when I was born.

You say you caught

The biggest fish that day.

Your snow-white hair.

Your skin

Is dark tan;

All yearlong.

I inhale a big whiff

Of stinky slimy

Fish bate.

My ear numb

From the ticking

Of the fishing poles:

Mine tweety bird

Yours jet-black

And Kentucky-blue.

The buzzing of the

Purple and turquoise Dragon-flies.

The over-joyed

Future fishermen

Showing their proud fathers.

The mothers have the babies;

At the playground.

You ask me how

Is school going?

I say well.

Then we wrap it up.

And head home.

Where you hang your

#1 Grandpa

Hat on the rack.

-Shelby

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/3109675976_a4a12229bf.jpg?v=0

Never Forgotten

1948-2009

You are the father

Of my aunts, uncles and to my mother

And the grandfather

To my cousins, brother, sister and I

And you could've turned 62,

8 days ago

But if you're dead or not

We still celebrate your birthday,

And each and every night I see you

In my dreams

I run [toward] you and yell

Granddaddy

And when I give you a hug

I can smell that hard cologne that you put on

That smells wonderful.

Wish I could see you again

And you will never be forgotten.

I love the way

You turned your life around

And gave it to God

And kept the family together

And let God tell you to say

And everything you said was right

You [taught] me how to pray and be strong

And I love you for that.

When you died I thought it was a lie

But when some one dies in my family

I look in the sky and I can see their face up in the sky.

All of the good times we had

I [think] about them every night.

[Since] you helped the family so much I love you for that

And I love you because you're my family

So until this day you [have never been] forgotten

Rest. In. Peace.

And rest easy and we still celebrate your birthday.

-Teryon