In 65 there wasn’t much happening,

                Saturday morning cartoons were the highlight of my week.

To a nerdish, shy, backwards six year old boy,

                A cold bowl of cereal and the TV were the life!

 

Saturday mornings were my parent’s day to “sleep in”,

                For 2-3 hours I was the King of this realm.

In my PJs, a bowl of Honey Combs and Heckle N Jeckle on the tube,

                Oh, what bliss! It couldn’t get any better!

 

One spring morning my trance was interrupted by a knock on the door.

                In terror I froze! What to do?

This had never happened before!

                What to do? What to do?

 

Scooting across the floor I glanced out the window,

                A white car in the drive,

And some old woman was at the door.

                Who, Oh crap! She was looking back at me!

 

I raced to my parents closed door,

                 “Mom”, I whispered, “Someone’s at the door!”

She emerged yawning, looking confused.

                 Muttering she shuffled to the door and peered out.

 

“It’s your grandmother, why didn’t you let her in?”

                She opened the door and invited her in.

She refused and mom pulling her nightie tight stepped out onto the porch.

                Heated words flowed from the woman who spun, walked to her car and left.

 

Mom slammed the door, “That was rude why didn’t you let her in?”

                “I didn’t know who it was!”

“It was your grandmother who refused to come in because you were rude.”

                “I didn’t know who it was!”

 

In my six short years I had attended family gatherings and holidays,

                Been to the yearly clam boil – family fist fight,

Rode in the family car at my grandfather’s funeral

                How could I not know who she was?

 

I didn’t know who it was!

 

Roy Richard October 2022

 

Copyright Roy Richard