Full of Life
Standing in my grandparents’ house
Full of life
The kitchen, the heart of it all
The smell of home cooked soul food
Filling the air
The scent of coffee
Which brewed all day long
The sounds of laughter
And papaw telling stories of his youth
Telling me that Jesus is watching
A 5-year-old wondering who is this Jesus
And where is he hiding
The perfect place for holiday gatherings
Until their daughter was arrested
And holidays were no longer celebrated
The large table full of chairs
To seat the many who flowed in and out
I see the blood stains that fell
On the linoleum
After Jerry cut his foot on glass.
My aunt couldn’t afford a hospital bill
Grandma stitched him up in the back room
I hear the roosters crowing
Roosters don’t always crow at dawn
Grandma hitting her rocker arm
Cheering on her WWF wrestlers
My papaw rocking me in his chair
Singing What Are Little Girls Made of
Laughing when he got to the part
Telling what little boys were made of.
Over there is the picture window I jumped through
When I met the black snake outside
Fortunately it was opened that day
I hear the train traveling down the tracks
The whole house shakes and pictures fall,
I feel sure the house will come off of its foundation
The willow tree with its welcoming branches,
I climb, I sit, and I am transported to another world.