As we end National Poetry Month, I noticed that in last week’s Throwback Thursday, I shared an old poem I wrote for my Grandma nearly twenty years ago. But sadly, I never wrote one for my Granddaddy when he was alive. As you know, my grandparents raised me from the time I was born, so he was the only dad I ever knew. So today, I’ll honor him with a verse…
Requiem for My Granddaddy
By: Rachel Carrera
If a girl had a grandfather
That couldn’t be beat,
It had to be
My Granddaddy Pete.
When he was young, he
Ran like a crackerjack;
So, when he started high school,
He took up track.
He ran very fast;
Swifter than any other;
The only one to catch him
Was my lovely grandmother.
Later, he enlisted;
He joined the Air Force;
He wanted to fly,
So, it was a logical course.
He looked so handsome
In his uniform of blue,
As he fought for our freedom
In World War Two.
As he served his country,
Mere survival was a wager;
But he stuck it out
And retired as a Major.
After he retired
From being a protector,
He started a job
As a citrus inspector.
He would bring home oranges
And grapefruits sometimes,
And occasionally, he would
Bring bags of lemons and limes.
And when I was born,
He took good care of me;
He would tell me stories
As I sat on his knee.
He sent me to private school
To get a good education,
And he steered me away
When I succumbed to temptation.
The story of my Granddaddy
Wouldn’t be complete
If I didn’t mention his stocks
That he invested in on Wall Street.
But then he got sick,
And he broke our routine;
He passed away when
I was only seventeen.
I miss my Granddaddy;
I sure loved him so;
I wish I’d have told him more often
So I was sure he would know.
Lovely!
Thank you! 😀
This is so sweet!
Thank you, Krystol! 🙂
I look at the beautiful picture of you and granddad Pete and read the words to your ode, Rachel, and I say he knew how much you loved him. It was and is obvious. Lovely.
I don’t know… I was a bit of a brat. Thank you! 🙂
You weren’t always an angel, Rachel? ;-0
LOL! Nope, I wasn’t canonized until I was in my twenties. 🙂
Oh, that devilish gleam.
Hee heee heee! 😉
So beautiful..I’m sure he’s proud to hear such beautiful words from you from above 🙂
Thank you! 😀
🙂
This is really wonderful, and great photos too, I’m sure he’d be so happy about this.
Thank you so much! 😀
Wow, what a beautify and touching poem. I especially enjoyed the lines where he ran faster than anyone else… except grandmother.
LOL! Thank you! 😀
So sweet. Believe me, he knew how much you loved him.
Aww, thank you! 😀
and again 🙂 my Grandad Tubby 🙂 we are blessed
Yes, we are! 😀
Reblogged this on Niki Bayard.
Thank you for the reblog! 😀
So beautiful Rachel. Love, love, love the photo of you and your granddaddy. 🙂
Aww, thank you! 😀
A really lovely poem 🙂
Thank you so much! 😀
I love this. And believe me when I say he already knows. 🙂
Thank you! You’re making me cry (in a good way). 😀
Awww. 🙂
😀