2007 IATE Poetry and Prose Contest
Poems of Special Merit
Jodie Lynn Good
Oakland High School , Grade 10
Oakland, Illinois
Teacher, Lee Roll
My Grandma
Grandma tells me stories about three little pigs
Dreams of a big farm house atop a hill
Loves to eat hot fudge sundaes at DQ
And still goes to the Coles County Fair for a lemon shake-up
She takes me shopping every birthday
Laughs at the dumbest things
Like her cat playing with a rubber squeaky mouse
Grandma gossips like a 16-year-old girl
“The neighbor kid is goin’ to jail.”
And tells dirty jokes like a 16-year-old boy
“You hear about Cinderella and the Pumpkin Eater?”
My Grandma sits in her chair
Sits in her chair all day
Full of secrets
Watching the neighbors like a hawk
She says the silliest things
“Jodie, you’re my main squeeze!”
This year, she can barely make it out for Christmas
But she’ll find a way to make my day
She’ll slip me a five dollar bill
But make me promise not to tell
My Grandma is hiding her sickness
Not knowing what tomorrow will bring
But she does her crossword everyday
And watches Jeopardy religiously
And my Grandma tells me she loves me…
Like a fat kid loves cake.