calmkate

grandparents

David started his shared poetry project sometime ago and I happen to be his 40th post!  It all emerged from my #snippet post about ‘cousins’

My paternal grandparents;

Nana and Pop met on the ward
when she gently tended
his gruesome war wounds

he a tall handsome older gent
she a tiny gentle English rose

he solemnly declared he had nothing
and lived in the middle of nowhere

but love blinded her to his reality
and after the war she sailed south

with another nurse to join their beau’s
a huge adventure in the Australian bush

completely off grid with snakes and spiders
sixteen miles from any neighbour or station

in his family home with his sisters and brothers
the children from his first marriage had moved on

they birthed my aunt and father
she sailed back to UK every two years

taught us all to knit crochet and embroider
the boys were more accomplished than I


                                    an internet pic

and Davids response:
Mama & Papa emigrated 
from the cold Soviet Union. 

Very few Jews were granted visas 
during the 1970's. 

By coincidence, they shared a flight 
to Austria, then Israel. 

(Direct flights to Israel? No. 
That was utterly unthinkable.) 

Upon arriving in Israel, 
they each went their separate ways. 

One year later, Mama saw Papa 
walking about at Hebrew U. 

"Shalom," she said excitedly, 
but he offered no acknowledgement. 

(He simply had not noticed her; 
she did not know he was going deaf.) 

Another year passed; fate burbled. 
Mutual friends had them both over. 

They dated for a very short while. 
A few months later, they married. 

what a fascinating insight into our very different, yet similar backgrounds!

Thanks so much David for including me in your circle

 

54 comments

  14. Two heartwarming stories from two different cultures, but with the same beautiful result … I really don’t know enough about my grandparents .. except that grandfather (John) live in Latrobe, Tasmania, and grandmother (Bertha), was from, Wallsend, New South Wales … and how they got to meet each and marry in 1911 at East Devonport .. is unknown …

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  17. Two filiations with completely different backgrounds come together in the form of poems on the Internet.
    Two facets of humanity so well expressed!
    Compliments to you and David, Kate
    Love ❤
    Michel

    Liked by 2 people

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