A Poem to my Granddaughter in Nigeria

(Written to Carmen McCain)

Carmen, Carmen, a great task you have asked of me,
To write a letter and send a poem. For don't you see
I'm getting old and I'm very forgetful and slow,
My mind gets all confused, plus I'm senile you know.
These excuses should e enough to get me off the hook
!ut since you insist, I'll stop and take a look,
"nd work at the #o and try to send a poem to you,
It will e the answer to the letter that you sent to me, too.
I greatly appreciate you taking out the time
To write your old grandparents a few lines.
$ven thought your rother came to tease and pester you,
It didn't seem to affect your writing, for you came through
%ith an interesting letter which we surely did en#oy.
%e didn't reali&e you were eing pestered y a oy.
"nyway, I'm sure he meant no harm to you in anyway at all.
"s reflected y your mirror, innocent, handsome and tall,
'howing him why all the girls for him had flipped and fell,
That great smile of his and other great features, as well.
I'd etter (uit teasing my grandson efore I make him sad.
I'm #ust having fun, )aniel, so laugh and e glad.
*ow is +aura, doing, Is she old enough for the oys,
-r is she waiting a few years, and for now, playing with her toys,
.aturally, I prefer the latter, for there's plenty of time yet
For her to meet Mr. *andsome and ecome his little pet.
To get ack to your letter, Carmen, I'm really proud of you.
/our grades are pretty good 0 the C1 in "lgera will #ust have to do.
For 2algera was invented to torture people3. .ow, isn't what you said,
!ut really, it's not that ad, is it, -r many people would e dead.
They usually come through like you did when they have done their est,
Thought their grades may not e as good as you did on the !ile test.
$nglish, 'panish, Typing, Choir and all your other grades
Makes old 4randma proud of how you've worked and what you've made.
'o let me congratulate you on your first year of high school.
I guess the teachers are impressed with the "merican, as a rule.
.ow, I will try to get ack to the rest of the letter
"nd hope that what I say will do till I can do etter.
/ou asked me if I had read the ook, 2"nne of 4reen 4ales3,
.o, I guess haven't. I should add it to my other fales.
"s for 2"nne of "vonlea3, I have never heard of such,
!ut, of course, y now, you know that I don't know very much.
"out my summer plans, they proaly wouldn't interest you at all,
For nothing very exciting has happened which is worthy to recall,
5nless it was picking lackerries, lueerries, peas and eans,
'helling, snapping, washing, putting in the free&er, a sight to e seen,
)ish6washing, house6cleaning, washing clothes and all that good stuff.
I dout you want to hear more. /ou're proaly saying 2'top7 That's enough.3
-ne thing that might interest you, I'm thinking of taking a trip
To 8ennsylvania for a camp meeting, if one thing I could skip,
"nd that is the plane ride of which I'm very much afraid.
If it wasn't for that scary part, I would have it made.
It's nice you're learning to drive, Carmen, ut e careful as can e,
For wrecks happen so fast, my dear, as some day you may see.
I was in a terrile wreck when I wasn't much older than you
"nd was disaled many weeks, ut thankfully, I pulled through.
!ut hopefully, you'll e a safe driver, as careful as can e,
"nd we'll pray to 4od that a wreck you'll never see.
I hope you en#oy your class, as 2*ausa3 you try to learn,
!ut I'll stick with good old $nglish, for as for 2*ausa3, I do not yearn.
%hen you come to see me, 2*ausa3 I don't care to hear,
For I'm an $nglish6speaking lady, and 2*ausa3 is foreign to my ear.
/our reports on 8hysical 'cience and 2"tlantis3, I would like to see.
!ring them with you when you come and read them oth to me.
/ou must inherit 8aw68aw's aility for the spelling of words,
For he's the world's worst speller, I'm sure you've already heard.
.ow you're the one who said you weren't good in spelling,
!ut don't e discouraged, all of us have certain failings.
.ow aout your adventure of walking in the dark,
I think that you, 9uth and Maria weren't very smart.
Take an old lady's advice and don't try that stunt again,
-r next time you may not escape without a little pain.
I'm glad to hear you're planning to write some ooks some day.
:eep that vision efore you and never let it get away.
It's so rewarding to see a ook you write in print
"nd to get letters from people commenting on its contents.
I recently received a letter from a girl in another state
%ho read my ooks and got ack to 4od, this she did relate.
I appreciate the poems you sent, you are (uite a poet,
!ut I guess I don't have to rag on you, for you already know it.
I love composing poems when it as easy as it is tonight,
!ut sometimes nothing seems to rhyme or to come out right.
!ut in spite of the struggles, I have many poems stashed away,
"nd when you come to visit me, we'll read them some day.
I long to write another ook, I want to write on 28rayer3,
!ut when I take my pen in hand, the thoughts are #ust not there.
I guess my age is part of it, my usy life is against it, too,
'o it's doutful if I'll ever write again, I really don't know what to do.
Folks don't understand, you see. They think all I have to do
Is sit down and start to write and the +ord will see me through.
!ut I don't seem to get going anymore, so I guess it's time to (uit
$ven though I know 4od helped me on my other ooks or I never would have made it.
%ell, Carmen it's late at night, and I am ready for ed.
If I don't get some sleep tonight, tomorrow I'll feel nearly dead.
Thanks again for writing us, it sure did make our day,
I hope my answer satisfies you and you won't throw it away.
:eep it for your scrapook, it will e fun to read these lines,
For it's not likely you'll get another for a long, long time.
-h, I almost forgot to wish you a *appy !irthday,
May you have many more. This is all I have to say.
Much +ove and 8rayer,
From here to over there,
To Miss Carmen 9uth McCain
From Me6Maw ;+ast name the same<
8.'. 8lease excuse all mistakes,
I'm not a typist so errors I make.