Josephine Elizabeth Meadow Walden January 2 1899 — December 23 1979
My Beautiful Gran-mama’s Face
came to Me again
in My One Dream from last night —
bright and smiling
as She looked at Me
with Her Knowing Look
and I wondered if I too
could be as lovely
when I become
“An Old Lady.”
She never wore grey
saying “Grey is for elephants”
though My Mother tried to tell Her
Grey looked good on Her —
(anything looked good on My Grandmother)
She wore instead blue and green
with Her Hair always
as I am wearing Mine
This Morning —
twisted and pinned up
and Her Lipstick was pink
(My Mother’s was orange)
All Her Letters to Us
were illustrated
using thin coloured markers —
She drew elves and mushrooms and flowers.
I have Those Letters.
(My Children haven’t seen Them yet)
I have one delicate watercolour
of a low blue bowl with three upright tulips and two daffodils
with the fourth tulip, yellow, drooping.
I have one glazed brown oval dish
kept on My Kitchen Window Sill
(for Pears soap)
signed in 1963.
Gran-mama painted
a strawberry bush on My Sewing Box
outfitted with everything I would ever need
to sew My Own Clothes.
Gran-mama painted My Doll Dresser
with holly hocks on the sides
and on top in the center one heart
surrounded by roses.
Inside the door
She painted My Red Swing
hanging from The Crab Apple Tree —
My Childhood Swing
made by My Grandfather
Who pushed Me so high
I could touch The Leaves
with My Toes.
My Beautiful Southern Grandmother,
Who taught Me to make popovers
and pot roast
put Her Credentialed* Creativity
into gardening currents, asparagus, nasturtiums and magnificent roses
and into Jordan Bay arrival dinners
of macaroni and corn bread
with home-grown vegetables.
My Beloved Grandmother
was the first and only
figure in My Life
Who exclaimed and explained
to Me
The Entrancement of Seeing
The Glitter, The Stars
playing out over
Our Dazzling Ocean’s Delight .
*Parson’s School of Design
Joanna Gilman Hyde 