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The Picture Book
by Brian Francis
When he was just a little boy
His grandpa passed away
He was some kind of hero
He’d heard his mama say
He imagined him an astronaut
When he watched the still night sky
Until grandma got out a picture book
And promised not to cry
In pictures on the pages
His grandpa smiled at him
There were pictures of him and mama
When she was just a kid
A big red car was at their side
And grandpa held her tight
And love was seen so obvious
In the pictures shared that night
When grandma spoke about him
And tears welled in her eyes
She told how he had worked so hard
To give them all good lives
She said his love was endless
Just like God’s above
A simple man that is sure
Who reflected that true love
Then as they turned the pages
To the end of all the rest
Grandma pointed at a small one
And asked him like a test
Do you know that little one
Cradled in his arms
Grandpa stared in captured awe
As though protecting it from harm
She said it was the most precious gift
That grandpa ever received
That it made him smile with tears in his eyes
As he hummed that babe to sleep
Then grandma said that it was him
Who grandpa loved most of all
Who grandpa used to sing to sleep
In the pictures that’s what he saw 06/11/2008 Posted on 06/11/2008
Copyright © 2024 Brian Francis
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Glenn Currier on 06/12/08 at 05:19 AM What a thoughtful and touching piece this is. It brings tears to my eyes and softens my heart. Your poem captures beautifully the tenderness of those moments and the years of their love. The rhymes somehow magnify the poem's family significance. Thank you for this lovely gift. |
| Posted by Charles E Minshall on 07/31/08 at 02:47 PM A grandparents treasure. Well done Bri...CharMin |
| Posted by Kathleen Wilson on 08/14/08 at 02:33 PM The self referential qualities of this are strong and affecting, the scene clear and moving. I love the story book quality of the poem about a story book- it is reflective, and the epiphany moment of realization in the story (album) and the poem iself are both beautiful. |
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