You Were A Star

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Mother said ‘I would have raised my
own kids if grandma were not there’
Tempting fate, because grandma was
taken away, mother was left with my
dad, my eldest and youngest brothers,
the rest of us kids – all three of us, my
twin sister, Ian and I, accompanied
grandma to the farm of my uncle

But living together, before the farm, mother
left my youngest brother at church, did not
know he was gone, no looking for him; was
it grandma’s fault? – Thus, when we left with
grandma, offering mother a chance at mothering,
my eldest brother took the youngest to a night
function at school and LEFT HIM THERE –
mother did not care

She never even knew he was not at home,
never asked where he was, a kindly stranger
brought him home – but being afraid of our
backward world, left him to walk the dark lane
by himself – he was just nine years old, she
never asked where he had been – interesting,
a strange way to take over from grandma
after all her scathing remarks

If grandma were not there, we would have
been left to ourselves, heck knows what we
would have become, the most perfect example
of independent children who cooked and cleaned
for themselves, I can see why she blames grand-
ma for being there, we were spoiled far too much,
grandma worked too hard, that is her sin, remind
yourselves never to do so many things

It is bad when someone blames you for doing things
they would have done for themselves, well, they
never do it even when you are gone, but it is the
principle, I suppose; Thank you grandma,
you were a star!
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