When my mother's mother passed away I wasn't ready to let her go. Even though I knew she was gone, there was a part of me that refused to accept it. In a daze I wrote this poem. My grandmother taught me many things. The most important, was to live my life without any regrets. She inspired me to speak my truth and to do whatever it was that my gut and my heart told me to do. I didn't want to end up looking back on my life wishing I had said or done anything differently. I didn't want to be an old woman who told the story the way I wished it had happened with the things I wished I had said or done. I still miss her. Most of all, I miss the sound of her laughter.
When Grandmother laughs
her earth shakes
Her hills and mountains
undulate
And a river of sound
flows from her mouth
Eh heh
Heh heh
Eh heh
Heh heh
The pools of water
in her eyes
Tidal wave leap
stream to her thighs
as she gasps to catch her breath
Hiccup
Hiccup
Hiccup
When Grandmother laughs
We all join in
shaking quaking
grinning skin
Howling gasping
coughing breath
No matter how much time goes by
It always feels like yesterday
Family gathered
while smiling I waited
Perched on the edge of a chair
My breath bated
Wondering hoping
Who will be the first
to make Grandmother laugh
