Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Vincy


I want to write a poem about my grandpa Vincy
And about when he would make coffee in the morning
It was there that I learned how important a routine is

I was very lucky because I had Jewish grandparents on my mother’s side and Sicilian-Italian grandparents on my father’s side
So I had the best of both worlds and it most definitely helped me to become a more interesting and well-rounded person

I’d stay with Vincy and Sophie after my parents had split up and my father was rediscovering a single life
At first like any child I thought it was a punishment until I started to really get to know these two people and how remarkable they were and how much they had to offer
Every night they’d watch Highway to Heaven or if there was a baseball game on they’d both pick a team and my grandmother sitting in her chair next to the kitchen and my grandfather in his comfy recliner would root for their favorite team

I want to write a poem about my grandpa Vincy and his obsession with red paint
It was amazing because if he ever found himself with any red paint left over he’d find something to cover it with and it always ended up making perfect sense, at least to him
I’ll also never forget the garage and all the many license plates he had hanging all over the walls

Of course there was a candy dish on the kitchen counter tucked next to the coffee maker
It was actually cookware for the oven and had plenty of room for the Brach's Candy my grandfather would buy at the store
That was the first time I had a Brach’s Neapolitan Coconut Sundae and am sad to discover they were discontinued in 2012

My grandparents showed me what love is and perhaps even more importantly what it feels like to be protected and cared for
They never made you feel like you were putting them out and were always ready to have you join them for cold cuts with Uncle Anthony who was a mailman and would stop for lunch during his route
Everyone talks about the importance of family and yet I wonder how many of us actually stop and think about how fortunate we are to have a family to catch us when we falter

Charles Cicirella
5/15/19

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