Tuesday, February 14, 2017

A Long Love

Theirs was a long love.




I can't vouch for the early years,
I wasn't there then.

But a few years after this photograph was taken,
a dozen or more cousins and numerous uncles and aunts present,
I saw evidence that there was more than sweet smiles
between my grandfather and grandmother.

We were all outside awaiting home-churned ice cream,
aunts talking up a Tennessee tornado,
uncles joking and wondering if the ice cream was ready,
cousins pairing off by age.

No one was paying much attention to the old couple,
but I was.

I saw Grandpa walk behind Grandma's folding chair,
bend and kiss the top of her head.

And with a mischievous smile he.....

he slid a hand in the bodice of her dress.

She slapped his hand away and fussed,
"Oh, William!"

He smiled and walked away.

There was a sparkle in Grandma's eye.


[added for Valentine's Day of 2018, the photo below
taken maybe 5 years or more later at their anniversary]



Grandma's head moves, blurry photo.
Grandpa might be saying something funny
but I prefer to think that he's still
telling her she's beautiful to him,
telling her that he loves her.

Still in love.