Tuesday, January 10, 2012

a Sunday Afternoon



i never knew my great uncle
in his youth, never knew
what he did for a living, or saw him
tie his shoes

i only knew him by his laughter
his wit, his sarcasm and twinkled eye, only knew
his aged walk and candor - only knew
him as my grandfather's
older brother

together they could fill
a room, gather an audience
no charge, no tickets
no back stage pass - lucky i thought myself as
a child able to move closer
steadily between legs, between pastel printed shirts, between
gossip and an off balance
center table, til

up i looked at him, this uncle
sitting on a tall
wooden stool, his elbow on the bar
his hat next to his beer - that
is how i know him
i could not know his childhood
my grandfather's brother - together

in suits and ties, in hats
with brims, in vests with memory lined pockets
tied shoes -
calling out tales, first one
then the other, proud and pronounced

they sat
bar-stool to bar-stool

"You" this and "You" that
"He" this and "He" that,

a woman moved to sit down, ordered a Seven-Up
seemingly familiar in scene
as hat to hat,
as beer to beer
these old men sat
filling the room

as only laughter can
on a warm Sunday afternoon

bkmackenzie
copyrighted 2011

my Great Uncle Mike ( in picture) poem of how I remember him

posted for dVerse Open link night



10 comments:

  1. Hi! you're great uncle was a cool dude huh? a great tale of memories here.. :)

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  2. Warm, heartfelt memories! Thanks for sharing sweet friend, I felt like I was in the room with you. (Hugs)Indigo

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  3. I felt like I was there. Well written indeed.

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  4. Great job weaving memories in verse, quite the guy it sounds like.

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  5. smiles...nice...pockets lined with memories...you set the scene nice an i was ready to sit down and listen...

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  6. What fond and beautiful memories you have filled your post with today, Barbara. Loved these lines:

    "...as hat to hat,
    as beer to beer
    these old men sat
    filling the room

    as only laughter can
    on a warm Sunday afternoon!"

    Yes, I too have lived these same Sunday afternoons, and you've brought back to me the whole 'show', even those smells--the oldness, the beers, the laughter.

    THANK YOU. And PEACE!

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  7. such fun and beautiful memories. Wonderful write :)

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  8. Great combination of warmth and story-telling.. really enjoyed the pace of this piece and felt the atmospheres you describe.

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  9. Beautiful poem! Reminds me of my grandpa. I never saw him with his brother, but he could fill a room and many hours with his stories and jokes. Miss him dearly.

    http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/the-sun-came-up-again-4/

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  10. You conjure the scene and the feeling so well. My dad and his brother were story tellers like this, so I have yet another reason to like your poem.
    :o)

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