My Childhood Memory

Memory recalls life on McCaskey Road at West End
Where I lived with my grandparents then
Three houses in a row along a gravel road-way
Lived relatives united in family ties of their day
Two of the houses had a fence in between
To protect our dogs fighting through the wire thing
Peace would prevail when dogs shared the same side
But when separated by the barrier,war would reside
County fairs came to the West End fairgrounds
Where we saw little monkeys and funny clounds
Race cars fliped their tops before the grandstands
So we looked for someone hurt,but no,not a man
Roberson's slaughter pen just up the road nearby
The place where cattle and hogs went bye,bye
Some cafe up the road called "The Switch" by name
One night went up in smoke and flame
A nearby pond that we called "The Clay Hole"
Was an oasis where we hunted frogs and caught tadpoles
John's grocery store down the road a bit
Sold big Pepsi Colas that gave our stomachs a fit
Our uncle Henry lived right next door
His joking laughter was heard a mile or more
Aunt Minnie spent much of her time sewing
While her pet dogs lay at her feet,snoring
Biscuits and molasses with coffee each day
Because granddad afforded little on his pension pay
Grandma often cooked collards greens with dumplings
That kind of eating sure was something
While we went to school to get an education
Love ones went off to war to defend our nation
Ration stamps then were tickets to buy
Things like sugar,lard and meat to fry
Trips to the grocery store were regular enought
Getting grandma and grandpa some Navy snuff
To grandfather's house cousins would come
Like brothers and sisters played games for fun
Playmates teamed up to play some ball
That made noise that drove grandma up the walls
We played the game that children would
And kept our secrets throughout our childhood
Uncle Con visited us driving a model "T" Ford
Equipped with a rumble seat and running boards
Uncle Oniely had a shop where he did repairs
On furniture such as tables,sofas and chairs
Grandpa read detective books and listen to the radio
For Amos N' Andy and the Grand Ole Opray show
When the jitters upset his routine
Grandpa would doctor his nerves with Miles Nervine
When arthritis was a pain in the neck
He would use alcohol or ended up a total wreck
Grandma worked the front yard as a flower bed
And tended a little garden from which we were fed
Those time were lean and our money  ran low
So grandma stretched the budget as for as it would go
Here at West End,we lived,laughted and played
Where dreams were dreamed and plans were made
Gone are the days,now just a memory of the past
Giving us the roots to be what we are at last
Then came the time all assembled around grandma's bedside
To do what we could for her sickness before she died
Not seeing grandma around the home any more
Gave grandfather nothing to live for
In this life ending we should pray to be
Somewhere up there in God's eternity
Where familiar voices we use to hear
Will sound from angels to our ears
And we with all our kin will join together in jubilee
Ending yesteryear love ones as a childhood memory.