My ‘Mamgu’ (c.1880 - 1969)

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 04 Jun 2021
  • 1437 reads
9 comments
 

(pronounced Mam-ggy as in 'eggy', South-Wales word for Grandmother,
meaning ‘dear mother’)

Lived up the long hill from the town,
half-way up the little mountain.,
by the cemetery – her husband had been the stonemason.
In fun called their house ‘Llys Marmor’ (Marble Palace)
(marble worked there for gravestones!)
Stocky, hair turned in around the crown, not wholly grey,
loving but stubborn.
Her gentle husband said, I think, that
arguing with her was like the hind leg of a dog
(logic seemed bent?)
Came to live with us (had been a widow for some years)
– winters only at first –
as friends couldn’t make the long trek up much more,
and the cleaning lady felt she could earn more ‘up the factory’.
One of my favourite tales from my mother –
her relationship not easy with her mother,
but so touched on her wedding
to have handed to her a passbook
containing all the money
she had paid her mother for her ‘keep’
while living at home awhile,
in teaching job, before her marriage.

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Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

What a lovely tribute, Rhiannon, and that's a great photograph. Lots of humour, and love, and a real pleasure to read.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you so much. Good to know it read well! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A wonderful pen portrait - thank you!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. It was nice to give it thought and time. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

How interesting Rhiannon. She sounded like such a plucky woman with a big heart.

Well described poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. Yes, looking back now, I can realise a lot of what she coped with in her life. As a teenager, I enjoyed having her with us, but was very aware of her insensitivity, and my mother's difficulties in caring for her in some aspects of her old age. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Teaching is a family tradition for you? She does look very determined and good humoured, like one of those toys that keep bouncing back upright. That's lovely that she saved all the money your Mum gave her, as I expect things must have been difficult and it would have come in handy, but a huge boost for your Mum when she gave it back, with all the things you need when setting up home. Your family ties are so strong, all through generations you look after each other

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Di. I think teaching is quite a tradition in Wales. But this was just during and after the second world war, remember. She was rather stubborn and insentive, difficult to argue with, but yes, pretty hard-working (one of her daughters was very frail as a child, and the oldest went to live with realtives for quite a while) and good-humoured. I think she had urged Mum not to pay her her 'keep', bit Mum felt it right to do so, so was very touched that her Mum had been sensitive enough to accept but save it to give back – again, they were getting married just as my father was demobbed from the army, the war having ended. Rhiannon