Saturday, June 15, 2019

Where I Am From... Happy Father's Day

At 5:10 this morning a huge clap of thunder replaced the usual loud chirps of a very early morning cardinal I look forward to hearing every day.

Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I decided to use an old lesson plan I used to inspire some of  my students. I filled in the blanks here
to create a poem based on my daddy..

I snapped a shot of one of my favorite photos of  Daddy holding my son about a lifetime ago... My dad had stopped one wintry morning after feeding the cattle... just to see my son, have a quick cup of coffee, and leave us laughing... I keep this photo tucked in my yarn and fairy cupboard... just a reminder that the road through present worries can often be found on interior ground through the happiest of memories of those common days.





I AM FROM

GERALD MILLER

I am from

huge gardens filled with dinner-plate dahlias and sweet corn

from

a little bulldog called Queen and homemade grapebutter sandwiches.

I am from

the square, white house situated at the end of the street

and

just down a path from the one-room school.

I am from

muddy country roads,

whose

every bog reaching out to capture my tires as I delivered the mail.

I am from

winter coats, summer hayfields, insulators, and fishing holes;

from

Big George and Iona Marguerite,

and from

both stubbornness and generosity;

from

hospitality, honesty, and honor.

I am from

tiny Mt. Salem Baptist Church;

from

banana cake, and biscuits 'n gravy;

from

Grandfather Franks and his honeybees,

and from

the summit of telephone poles as a Southwestern Bell lineman... 

and from a Lionel train treasured from a cold Christmas Eve.

I am from

the day I first set eyes on the woman of my dreams, through 

my years as the proudest dad and Paw-paw in the land.


Happy Father's Day to my favorite dad...




Whimsy and Hugs!

2 comments:

Miss Merry said...

What a wonderful poem and tribute. He was a very fine man.

Gayla said...

Thank you so much! Are you all going out for Father's Day?