‘Twinkle, twinkle … what?’@102

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 23 Feb 2022
  • 673 reads
7 comments
 

At 102 she can’t hear well
and is confused and forgetful,
but likes it when her grandson plays
hymns and songs on his violin
that she knew in younger days.
Today his little girl has come
and so for her he moves into
the music of the song
‘Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
up above the world so high …’
… suddenly he hears Gran singing
‘… like a tea-tray in the sky’!
murmuring
remembering
recalling from somwhere deep
those words absurd –
how long ago was
Lewis Carroll’s famous parody*
enjoyed and heard?

 

* Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you’re at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a teatray in the sky.

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Biography
Humour

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is lovely Rhiannon - is she your mother in law? She has a beautiful smile - and my goodness 102??? That's amazing! I remember you've written about her failing health but she looks very happy in the pic - many happy returns to her!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. Yes, she is my mother-in-law. I'm glad you felt the smile was beautiful, as I had been tempted by an even better photo but felt it was from rather long ago.

She is happy now, even with her confusion and forgetfulness, and I think the staff find her happy and content. She had had a difficult childhood, and their marriage was a bit argumentative and stormy, she very reserved and he rather self-centred, so her first years in the home and widowhood, seemed to see her reliving some of her difficulties, but by the time lockdown occurred and communication was getting more difficult, she seemed to have found peace over these things largely. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Wow, this is really sweet and touching. The lady in the photograph looks so happy. Music can be a medium for time travel. She must have so many wonderful memories.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks,Jane, yes interestingly she seems to 'catch' the music better than speech, and it does bring back memories through the confusion. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

How absolutely amazing to reach such an age. She sounds so young at heart and it's lovely she can recall those lines. This was such a treasure to read and it must have been such a joy to hear her sing.

Many happy returns to a lovely lady. 

Put a smile on my face. smiley

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. Her birthday was actually in August. She has always been very strong physically, but she seems to cope with her confusion now, and is very happy in the Home, where she can watch what is going on with so many people around. While here, after her husband died, she tended to keep to herself and sleep a lot.And it is very close for visiting, and she likes 'letters' in big print with family photos on. She seems to speak a lot now about waiting for the Lord to come for her - much more freely than she used to! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries for this! Rhiannon