NaPoWriMo 2021 Day 15 -- Grandpa and Me; a little bit

Uncles, Grandpa, and Grandma

. From left to right: My Dad, Uncle Lester, Uncle Howard, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Chester in 1940s photo taken at Grandpa's farm. The car was Dad's blue 1938 Ford Tudor Deluxe.

When I was growing up

When I was growing up, who of the family was I like 

Not my father for sure, mean to me and going his own way 

Mom and my grandmothers were the best 

perhaps I should have been like them 

But without desire my grandfather it turned out to be 

He chewed tobacco and dipped his snuff 

Never smoked that I knew 

He would take me for rides that my dad would 

never do, except for one time that I remember  

He talked to me like a kid, most remembered 

to me was his approach to a stop sign one day

He wasn't a poet, but out of the blue one day 

he recited "S T O P, stop take of panties" 

at a Stop Sign 

That may have been what the kids in his day 

were saying, but I never heard it again in my day

I will always remember his corny joke and sayings

In that I am just like he was 

Grandpa cussed and swore, I did that for a time, 

easy on the swearing as I cringe when I hear

taking the Lord's name in vane, 

today's "O M G" irks me each time I hear. 

Grandpa liked his beer, so did I way before I was 21 

Grandpa drove crazy, drove his tractor up a tree 

I like him, like to joke a little bit, 

telling jokes and quotes that may not be funny

I always said that I was grandpa's favorite 

Another cousin and I were the closest in many ways 

And it took a calm and loving wife to slow me down

(Somewhat) 

 - - - - 

 - Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2021, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am participating in the National Poem Writing Month.  So far I have missed yesterday (you can kiss me on a Monday but never on a Sunday--old song) but will write two for one day soon.  See them at Labels: NaPoWriMo 2021.

 - Photos Copyright, Jimmiehov  2011 (http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/2011/06/meet-cousins-six-word-saturday.html and http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/2010/10/flashback-friday-15-my-boyhood-family.html , 

 - I am linked with NaPoWriMo (National Poem Writing Month) Day 15, https://www.napowrimo.net/day-fifteen-7/ , we were asked to write of a family member's traits and habits that we acquired, father in mind.  You have seen that "father" didn't work for me.