Out of the Old West
Granddad White and I were never close
but I respected and admired him.
We loved each other
but neither of us knew how to show it.
I think we both wanted to.
Although reserved,
Granddad was more open and friendly
than I ever will be.
Unfortunately, he didn't know how to talk with me.
Granddad loved children though,
and he got along great with my littlest sister.
I would watch him role on the floor
playing with his other grandchildren
and wished that I could be more open.
Granddad never had a lot of money
and what little he did get
had to feed his large family,
six boys and a girl, six uncles and my mother.
There had been three other girls
but they had tragic fates before I was born.
I used to watch Granddad in his workshop
to my young mind it was a marvel
picture tubes and scattered electronics
mixed with his woodworking and other projects.
What he couldn't fix would get recycled,
or dumped in the swamp out back.
I guess he didn't know much
about the environment.
I miss Granddad.
He may not have been educated
but he was not stupid.
I wish we could sit down with coffee
and talk about all those things we never said.
By Michael A. Crane, Jr.
January 14, 2004
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