Faith · family · poetry

Grammie

Sally

My grandmother was a worrier
(Or, some would say, a prayer warrior)
She fretted all the time
(probably from womb to Easter tomb)
Her immigrant family worked hard
At menial jobs for which they were hired.
They moved up the social ladder.
Education, honesty, and faith would lead her
To a comfortable American life.
You would think she turned over a new leaf!
But she worried and worried and worried,
Though her faith in God never wearied

This is my submission for the W3 challenge this week — brought by the host with the most, David himself.

Here’s the challenge: Write a poem using pararhyme throughout—where consonant sounds match but the vowels shift (e.g., fill / fell, stone / stain). Let this half-matching quality reflect a theme of incompleteness, near-misses, or strained connection.

Can I say that it’s not even a near miss to be a worrier and a person of faith?! The two stand in stark contradiction to each other, and yet, that was my grandmother.

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Published by Sally

12 thoughts on “Grammie”

  2. Sally, I love “from womb to Easter tomb”—it’s such a vivid, poignant arc in just six syllables. The whole poem beautifully captures the paradox of steadfast faith alongside persistent worry.

    ~David

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  9. I loved this one. “Grammie”  deftly intertwines the technical precision of pararhyme, internal and external, with a heartfelt portrayal of your grandmother’s dual nature: a persistent worrier and a steadfast woman of faith. “From womb to Easter tomb” encapsulate a lifetime of concern, underscoring the enduring nature of your grandmother’s worries. But, and this is crucial to my reading and appreciation of the poem, it doesn’t merely dwell on this anxiety; it juxtaposes it with unwavering faith, suggesting a complex coexistence rather than a contradiction. An excellent piece of writing.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words. What you said is exactly what I wanted the reader to see — a complex coexistence of what seem to be opposites.

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  10. Well done! I loved this little insight into your Grammie. I think your poem highlights that we each have some contradictions or complexities.

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