Poems Niederngasse
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Marie Gail Stratford

Grandma's Blue
 
Shaded like eyes of her offspring, Grandma's blue
peers at me from china cupboards and linen
closets--the blue-green of her Frankoma place settings,
the ubiquitous powder blue of fresh-folded towels
purchased by younger generations in recollection
of her touch, her impeccable taste.

Even yard-sale finds and thrift-store purchases
remind us of her kitchen--a set of starburst glassware,
minus a piece or two, a blue pitcher with matching glasses
the color of Grandma's cabinet doors.

On the playroom shelf rest the remains
of her favorite pleated dress--a stuffed bear
resplendent in green-tinged blue.

round II, poem 3, 8 November 2005
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Marie Gail Stratford is a recreational therapist and dance instructor from Kansas City, Missouri. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and Psychology from Olivet Nazarene University and pursues her love affair with creative communication as often as possible in venues as diverse as Kansas City's historic theaters and kindergarten classrooms. She is a regular contributor to the bi-monthly E-zine Blue House and serves as a moderator for the online poetry boards Desert Moon Review and Blueline Poetry Forum.  email:  Marie Gail Straford