Tuesday, March 31, 2015

All Tucked in on Galley Street

At night,
on Galley Street,
Granny buttoned up the house.
She locked both locks
and checked them twice
and pushed steel wool
in the crack under the basement door
to keep the mice away.
 
Then she checked on me.
"Warm enough?"
Always.
I slept on the couch,
tucked under the corduroy crazy quilt.
The grandfather clock stood guard.
Papaw and Granny slept in their room,
leaving the door open
in case I needed anything in the night.
 
I fell asleep to their synchronized snores,
his rumbling grumble and her whiffling snuffle.
Out back,
on the other side of the river,
a train whistle blew.
 
Just outside the glow of the porch light,
stories unfolded as I slept.
The next day,
I looked for them,
balancing on the cracked stone wall,
jumping over the drainage ditch.
 
I tasted stories in green apples
picked from my great grandfather's tree.
I read them
in the crisscrosses
of Granny's perfect embroidery stitches.
 
Galley Street was filled with stories,
and I collected them like shells, or stones, or feathers.
I kept them safe
until I was ready to share them
with the world.

Thanks to all of you who have visited Galley Street this month! If not for the Slice of Life Writing Challenge, I may not have taken the time to remember what a magical place Galley Street was for me as a child and is for me, now, as a writer. If not for Two Writing Teachers, I know I would not have had the opportunity to visit all the wonderful places in this neighborhood of readers and writers. I have learned so much, and I have had so much fun! Stop by Galley Street any time. You're always welcome.

6 comments:

  1. Love your poem and the images that it brings forward. Happy Writing!

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  2. The way you have written this captures all the magic of this special place! I especially love the line about how your Granny "buttoned up the house"--such a perfect description! Beautiful poem!

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  3. What beautiful poetry - now my only regret was wishing that you'd written more poetry! I've loved reading your posts this month - you have such a way with words, with capturing moments and all their humor and lush description and bringing them to life! Congratulations on this challenge!!

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  4. Memories preserved, that's the best reward of all. What a wonderful place you had with your grandparents!

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  5. Stories are all around us just waiting for someone to give them a voice. So glad you did. I have enjoyed reading your slices and look forward to more on Tuesdays.

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  6. "Warm enough?" Yes, your words have warmed us as we got to visit Papaw and Granny, too.
    My Grandma had a clock that seemed like a scary face to me! But the Jenny Lind bed I slept in there felt warm and safe.

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