Grace is Three - Hike on the Wild Side - Poem for Grace

We saw dozens of turkeys this morning. (Photo from the Internet). We watched their walk, stretching out their heads and necks apparently to propel them forward. Behind them were the half-grown poults, keeping up with mom and dad.

We tried to keep out of their way and meandered into the garden of bright-colored flowers and several hummingbird feeders.

When we returned, the turkeys were sitting atop a fence!

Then we spotted director David Robertson emerging from his side door and sprinkling what appeared to be coffee grounds to the turkeys.

Gee, I wonder what it would be like inviting a turkey indoors.

Scott and I walked about 25 minutes. He's still healing from what we believe is tendonitis deep in his left leg.

Then, unhurried me - per my wildly popular poem "The Unhurried" - drove to the Demings to deliver my food contribution to Grace's third birthday party. "Mom-mom" was scooping ice cream into cupcake tins.

How clever!

Scott's on vacation for a week. Cape May is awaiting. Today we went to Whole Foods as he had a hankering for liverwurst.

This online photo looks remarkably like our liverwurst sandwiches. We each had 1.5 sandwiches, which is why I just got off the stationery bike.

We bought a fresh loaf of rye bread with seeds - yum! -  and packed our sandwiches with kale, tomatoes, onions, mayo and moutarde.

Earlier today I worked on the Letter of Intent - LOI - for yet another grant, this time from the Pew Charitable Trusts. From their website, they say they used to be a very conservative entity, until the mid-1980s when they became RADICAL!!! That change never happens unless you vastly depart from the old conservative ways.

A couple months ago a poem I wrote about Grace was published by the River Poets Journal.

But, first, the requisite pictures:


The Playroom at the end of the party

Oh, Max, you are so cute I printed out this photo and looked at it while writing my LOI

You'll note the "apple-green" seat of Max's in the background. I was reading to Grace in the above playroom. She wanted to listen to a book about a rabbit which teaches a variety of things. One was the color "apple-green."

Grace, I said, what is apple-green right here in the playroom.

She walked around the room - stuffed to the gills with toys - and pointed out the apple-green ones.

 Here's the birthday girl who fancies herself a doctor.

SAYING GOODBYE TO GRACE CATHERINE DEMING

A silent ache

when she leaves

alone in her carseat

while Mom-mom drives her home

she watches me blow kisses

through the back window

strapped in,

prisoner to her elders

both grandmothers will leave first

snatched without mercy

useless to cling to our lost darlings who

will forget us like

last night’s dreams

what’s to remember about Bubby?

because I say, Grace this is a daisy, or

how do you like my new birdbath?

it is I who want to tag along

after death

want to be with her

listen to her laugh

meet her friends

guard her when she swims

teach her to ride no-

handed on a bike

put her on the plane

when she travels to Rome

I will be there to see all things

at least today I believe it,

tomorrow may be different

as my parachute falls silently

to the poppy fields

and nothing is left but

an indentation in the soil.