A Martyr in Lace and Five and Dime Cologne



Grandmother taught us
tradition matters in that
it must be passed on from
one generation to another;
she showed us the old-world
ways of baking, healing,
story-telling and nurturing.

Grandmother's apron was a symbol
of her time, it gave her the status
of good-housekeeping woman,
elbows deep in flour, pies baked
from scratch, polishing the silver
to be put away in its mahogany box,
scrubbing and waxing floors till
her knuckles bled.

Grandmother was a martyr in lace
and five and dime cologne,
telling everyone she met that her
husband died many years ago,
leaving her with five small children
who grew up and did well.

Grandmother saved Saturdays for us,
as her grandchildren she would
treat us with a ride on the bus to
Downtown and a lunch where we ordered
club sandwiches and coffee with plenty
of cream----feeling very grown-up.

Grandmother is gone, but her ways
are not forgotten.
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Submitted by Sonny68 on January 19, 2016

Modified on March 30, 2023

45 sec read
121

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXXBXCC XADXBXXX XXBXDX AXXXXX XD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 862
Words 151
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 7, 8, 6, 6, 2

Sonia Walker

I have been writing poetry, short stories and articles of interest for over thirty years. Most of my writing has been published in small presses, journals and weekly community newspapers. It is enjoyable to receive positive feedback on my writing. Before retirement, I was an editor and co-publisher for a quarterly journal and monthly newsletter from Anchorage, Alaska. My philosophy is to write something everyday to keep the cobwebs away. more…

All Sonia Walker poems | Sonia Walker Books

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1 Comment
  • Sonia Walker
    Sonia Walker
    What a privilege to have known such a grandmother as in this poem. The person is not only a loving grandmother, but a martyr/matriarch of her family circle. She represents the very backbone of women of yesteryear who were not afraid of hard work and were proud of what they accomplished within their restricted monetary means. When this grandmother dressed up for a special occasion, she wore some lace, and dabbed herself with cologne from the downtown five and dime, pretending it was an expensive perfume. It was okay for this grandmother to dream about improving her lot since it gave her some rest from her daily routine. 
    LikeReply 18 years ago

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