Grandparents Poem by Karl Newton

Grandparents
Dearly departed
Fond memories of

Nan
My fondest memories of
A feisty short lady
Not lacking character
One summer I remember
The summer of 1996
You'd just moved nearby
And we spent a lot of daytimes together that summer
Whilst Grandad was off playing golf
We would go for a waltz
Down the local high street
Visiting every charity shop as we go
Sometimes multiple times a day
Before buying tea to make Grandad
And a cheeky Donut on the way home, strictly our secret
I always hoped to keep to my promise of
Escorting you to the bingo and pretending to be the young guy on your arm
To make all your old bingo friends jealous
But it wasn't to be

Grandad
A gentle giant
A hand like a bunch of bananas
The safest place for my little hand to be
Through rough teenage days
You were nothing less than a parent to me
I've never been closer to nobody
And your death still cuts a deep and painful scar inside of me
You taught me many things such as golf, but nothing was ever as key
As the many bits of knowledge and wisdom you taught to me
Of many fond memories I have of you
Spending days together playing golf or running errands
Before going to yours to
Watch TV
Read the newspapers
Debate the news and football
Before having a mix match tea of anything you could find in the freezer
Topped of course, by a fried egg or two and with bread & butter
All washed down, by
A bag of custard donuts, each
For that moment in time
You were less of a Grandad
More of a best friend
A pillar of strength of which I could depend

Nan and Grandad I miss you
And I will until my dying day