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Granny's Hands

Granny’s Hands        


 

Hold my hand Granny

Tell me again

How many times is seventy times seven

And what does forgive mean

Tell me again.

 

Granny’s hands have spots all over

Tell me again

Why does the sun make everything better

When tomorrow comes

Tell me again.

 

Granny picks Rosemary

and Lemon Verbena

Everything smells

Of Lemon Verbena

Teach me again Granny

Those easy lessons

Of making things better

With Lemon Verbena

 

Children can live on ripe pomegranates

Pork crackling snacks 

fresh Apple Pie

Two late husbands

and burying two children

and yet, I only once saw her cry.

 

The way to fix things was to

Unpack your cupboards

“Sadness will go,”

Granny would say.

“Sadness can’t live in nice tidy cupboards,”

But what do you do with it?

Pack it away?

 

Granny’s hands were soft and gentle

Rough and wrinkly

At the same time

 

Hold my hand Granny

Tell me again

How many times is seventy times seven times seventy times …

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