PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

I REMEMBER GRANDMA. MICHAEL LANDON WAS HER FAVORITE ACTOR. SHE HAD A STAGE NAME PICKED OUT FOR HERSELF ASTELLE DORSON. I USED TO WATCH SILENT MOVIES WITH HER ON SATURDAYS ON CHANNEL 11. SOMETIMES I SNUCK UPSTAIRS AFTER BED TIME TO WATCH JOHNNY CARSON WITH HER AND GRANDPA. SHE USED TO BLAST  POLKAS ON A POLISH AM RADIO STATION EVERY SUNDAY. WHEN THE FUN FAIR AT THE CHURCH WAS IN TOWN EVERY JULY SHE USED TO MAKE US DANCE POLKAS WITH HER. SHE WOULD GRAB US BY THE ARM AND PULL US ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR WITH HER. I WOULD JUST HOP AROUND. I HAD NO CLUE HOW TO DO A POLKA...SHE LIKED BOBBY VINTON HIT SONG MOYA DROGA YA CHE CO HUM.SHE HAD A SING ALONG WITH MITCH CHRISTMAS ALBUM WE USED TO SING ALONG TO AT CHRISTMAS TIME.I REMEMBER MAKING PIEROGIS WITH HER. SHE WOULD SPREAD THE DOUGH ACROSS THE KITCHEN TABLE AND WE WOULD MAKE CIRCLES WITH  GLASSES THAT SHE WOULD PUT  MASHED POTATOES OR SAUERKRAUT ON AND WE WOULD FOLD IT OVER AND USE A FORK TO SEAL IT SHUT AND THEN PLOP THEM INTO A POT OF BOILING WATER ON THE STOVE. WHEN THEY FLOATED TO THE TOP WE WOULD CATCH THEM AND PUT THEM IN A FRYING PAN WITH BUTTER TO COOK THEM THE REST OF THE WAY.THEY WERE YUMMY.

I REMEMBER GOING TO VISIT GREAT GRANDMA IN POWERS LAKE  WISCONSIN. SHE HAD ONE OF THOSE BIG METAL SLIDING SWINGS ON HER ENCLOSED PORCH WE LIKED TO ROCK ON. SHE HAD APPLE TREES IN HER YARD. I REMEMBER ONCE THERE WAS A CATFISH FLOPPING AROUND IN THE GRASS NO CLUE HOW IT GOT THERE. FOR SOME REASON SHE HATED CATFISH AND TOOK A PITCHFORK AND KILLED THE POOR THING. MAYBE SOMEONE WENT FISHING AND IT GOT OUT OF A BUCKET OR SOMETHING. SHE LIVED NEAR THE LAKE BUT NOT THAT CLOSE WHERE A FISH COULD SOMEHOW FLOP ALL THE WAY OVER THERE FROM THE LAKE...SHE HAD A DOG NAMED SMOKEY. WE STAYED OVERNIGHT SOMETIMES IN THE SUMMER. IT WAS REALLY HOT DURING THE DAY. WE WOULD GO ROAMING AROUND AND I REMEMBER MY SISTER PAULA ALWAYS MANAGED TO GET STUNG BY A BEE SOMEHOW. MY GREAT GRANDMA PUT AMMONIA ON IT. IT WAS FREEZING COLD AT NIGHT. WE NEEDED WARM BLANKETS TO SLEEP UNDER. A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM THE HOT DAY TIME WEATHER.I REMEMBER SHE HAD A CUCKOO CLOCK IN HER KITCHEN THAT WENT OFF EVERY HOUR THE CUCKOO WOULD POP OUT AND SAY CUCKOO HOW MANY TIMES ACCORDING TO THE CLOCK ONCE UP TO TWELVE TIMES. THAT WAS NEAT. WE WOULD SEE OUR GREAT UNCLE TED ONCE IN AWHILE THERE. HE DIDN'T LIVE TOO FAR AWAY FROM GREAT GRANDMA. OUR GREAT UNCLE CASEY USED TO LIVE NEAR US BY THE PARK AND WE USED TO SEE HIM WALKING HIS DOG PATCHES SOMETIMES. LATER HE MOVED TO POWERS LAKE AND BUILT A SMALL HOUSE ON GREAT GRANDMA'S LOT TO LIVE NEAR HER. I THINK HIS RETARDED DAUGHTER JANET USED TO STAY WITH GREAT GRANDMA TIL SHE GOT SICK. THEN I THINK JANET WENT TO LIVE WITH OUR GREAT AUNT HATTIE. I REMEMBER SEEING JANET AT GREAT GRANDMAS WHEN WE STAYED OVER THERE AND AT AUNT HATTIES WHEN WE VISITED HER. SHE NEVER DID LIVE WITH EHR FATHER ALTHO WHEN HE DID LIVE NEAR BLACKHAWK PARK I REMEMBER SEEING JANET IN A RETARDED GROUP PROGRAM AT THE PARK FOR AWHILE. I THINK SHE EVENTUALLY WENT TO LIVE AT LAMBS FARM. WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN.

WHEN OUR UNCLE BUD CAME HOME FROM THE VIETNAM WAR HE HAD A PRETTY GIRLFRIEND NAMED LIZ WITH LONG HAIR WITH HIM. MY MOM DID NOT LIKE HIM HAVING HER WITH HIM. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD EXAMPLE FOR HER KIDS. SHE COMPLAINED TO GRANDMA ABOUT IT. SHE DIDN'T WANT HIM LIVING THERE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND. THEY GOT INTO A BIG FIGHT OVER IT AND MY GRANDPARENTS ENDED UP MOVING OUT. WE DIDN'T SEE THEM FOR YEARS AFTER THAT. THEY HAD A DOG NAMED CHAMP AND THE PLACE THEY MOVED TO DIDN'T TAKE ANIMALS SO THEY PUT HIM TO SLEEP. WE WERE ALL VERY UPSET OVER THAT. MY PARENTS SAID HE COULD HAVE STAYED WITH US. THEY DIDN'T TELL ANYONE THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO IT ONLY LET US KNOW AFTER THEY DID IT. I DOUBT THEY WOULD HAVE LEFT HIM WITH MY PARENTS ANYWAY CUZ THEY WERE SO MAD AT THEM. I KNOW THEY HAD AN APARTMENT IN BENSENVILLE FOR AWHILE THAT YEARS LATER WE WENT TO VISIT THEM THERE ONCE. I THINK THEY MOVED TO IDAHO FOR AWHILE AND MAYBE STAYED WITH MY UNCLE BOB.YEARS LATER WHEN MY GRANDMA GOT REALLY SICK SHE STAYED WITH OUR FAMILY FOR AWHILE TIL SHE DIED. OUR GRANDPA HAD ALZHEIMERS AND  WAS SOMEPLACE I NEVER SAW HIM AT...MAYBE A NURSING HOME OR SOMETHING. I REMEMBER HE DIED AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TELL GRANDMA ABOUT IT. WHEN SHE DID FIND OUT SHE DIED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. I REMEMBER AT HER WAKE THEY HAD SO MUCH MAKEUP CAKED ON HER FACE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER. SHE NEVER WORE MAKEUP.I NEVER LIKED BEING FORCED TO GO TO WAKES AND FUNERALS WHEN I GOT OLDER I REFUSED TO GO. MY MOM SAID WE NEEDED CLOSURE. I SAID I PREFER TO REMEMBER THEM AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM LAYING DEAD IN A COFFIN. THAT'S JUST MY FEELINGS ON THAT SUBJECT.  GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES AND HAPPY AND SAD TIMES. STRANGE HOW MEMORIES COME AND GO STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS.