Mary Florence Chaplin Newland

To My Maternal Grandmother

Her tombstone stands in Blackwell Cemetery,
The final resting place
of Mary Florence Chaplin Newland's final remains.

It's from Grandma Mary
that I get the German part of my DNA,
and a Southern Baptist upbringing.

Mama
was a single mother
who worked swing shift and weekends,
so Grandma took care
of my siblings and myself,
accompanied us
to Sunday School and church,
and taught me how to cook.

I miss Grandma most
on Thanksgiving,
my birthday,
Christmas,
and New Year's Day.

I miss her homemade pies,
cakes,
cookies,
and the way she played solitaire
when she couldn't sleep.

Poet's Note: ▶︎

Line Count: 24
Form: Free verse
Written for "Honoring the Dead"