Celebrating a milestone
Clutching on to my grandmother’s
Depression glass coffee cup,
Much like her,
Delicate and frail
Filled with something effervescent
Tickling my nose and thoughts
Caressing a memory
Stern gaze of disapproval
At a party long past
Holding a tumbler of vodka
For barely a moment
Drawing her ire
Glaring back, dagger looks
Between generations
Crying out for independence,
A rebellious voice
Defiantly pouring some of that
Holy Polish potion
Into her cherished
Sparkling clear
Teetotal-ing coffee cup
Gritting her teeth
Instilling fear in the room
She drank it down in one swig
Smiling for just a second,
Nice twist. "Instilling" works like a charm in that spot.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind comments!
DeleteReally like this vivid image of generational attachments, how they linger, and affect the things we do and how we see the rest of the world around us. Your last lines remind me of winks shared with my own granddaughters, quick smiles, and silent nods of knowing. Thank you, Denise,
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Elizabeth,
DeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I am always thrilled by the surprise of family influences.
Deep, rich characters, no matter the literary genre, are such a favorite of mine. Really enjoyed this poem filled with strong words creating an even stronger image of the person. Thank you for the visit and comment on my site.
ReplyDeleteYousei,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read this and to comment! She was a strong person.
A wonderful title to the piece. Mesmerising pieces of drunk memory. Worked really well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Irene!
DeleteI changed the title at the last minute before posting it. Sometimes that morning coffee works. ;)