ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT CALL HER "GRANDMA"

BY

Laura Lee Christian

Preserves, from Mom's pantry
packaged fruits in various forms
jams, jellies, sauces, sliced, whole, and dried
summer sunshine to eat during the cold of winter,
all standing erect and in order
on the old wooden shelves.
"Laura will you fetch me some jam?"
I can hear Mom say,
"any kind you want."
When it comes time to pick the ripened fruit
we grab our old coffee cans
tied with string to hang around our necks.
Our troop in full numbered six
but as the chicks grew up and flew away
the fruit picking crew dwindled to two,
guess who? Mom and Dad of course,
but Mom still puts up the fruit
and it appears whenever we visit
or when Mom and Dad visit us
or at holidays and Christmas.
We do still have one fruit picking day
for whomever is around, 
on the Fourth of July the cherry trees
with their fruits sweetened do abound.
On that day the crew could number seventeen
for the chicks that flew fell in love,
so now everyone enjoys Mom's preserves
and especially the ones that call her
"Grandma".