Friday, February 11, 2011

Grandma's Gossip (DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with my Grandmothers)

The family's together;
It's been a long time;
And Grandma's the cook;
The Meal looks so fine

The dishes get passed;
Conversations exchanged;
First the weather, then health;
Wide the topics may range.

Then what do I hear?
My heart starts to sink;
Grandma is starting to
Gossip, I think

"Neighbor Dan over here
Across from our lane
Didn't get his hay made
Because of the rain.

"If they'd get up in the morning
As early as me,
He'd get his work done.
Don't you agree?

"And Sam Miller's another
That needs an alarm
Never early for church
And such a small farm!"

I but my cheeks;
My thoughts burned within.
To be so degrading,
I thought it a sin.

I knew both these men.
They had my respect,
Good fathers and husbands,
They need not be pecked

Now the topic had changed
To include Brother Amos.
"He can lead songs so well;
He's so popular and famous.

"Well, Levi leads too,
But he may as well retire;
His singing's so slow
It just has no fire."

To myself I thought,
We shouldn't compare.
Should I speak up
And say it's not fair?

"But Levi's wife,
She's also slow."
Grandma's gossip continued
To let us all know.

The faults of the neighbors -
All the faults that she knew.
But her own were oblivious;
Not a wrong did she do.

To myself I did wonder,
Doesn't she know
We must give account
Of words and ideas we sow?

The dinner was over.
The men left the room.
The dishes were washed,
And out came the broom.

Mid-afternoon the
Men took a walk.
This seemed to inspire
More gossip and talk.

"My patience runs low
With this husband of mine.
He doesn't get much done."
She said with a whine.

"Why, Farmer Roy Yoder
Over near town;
He's the same age as Grandpa
And hasn't slowed down.

"Mornings Grandpa hardly
can crawl out of bed.
Claims arthritis;
I think it's all in his head.

"I make him sweep the floor.
He needs something to do
Or he'd rock all day long.
I tell you it's true.

"I told him Roy Yoder
Isn't lazy like he.
He's always running
 And busy like me."

My mind was churning
As we drove home that day.
I was so disappointed;
I tried to pray.

Shouldn't we love our husbands
Even when they grow old?
Does love grow weaker
Or does it grow cold?

So I prayed for strength
In the battle of life.
"Help me to be
A Godly wife."

I need an example
Good and true,
Like the example we read
Of in Titus two.

Grandma has faults
Like the rest of us do.
Help me to love her
And help her see through.

- Author unknown

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a great poem!

Anna said...

:D) I think so too.

Anonymous said...

My aim in life is not to be a "gosipping granny"....Yuck!
The poem sure makes you think twice, doesn't it. love ya

Anna said...

It certaily does!

Anna said...

*n