I get quite sentimental
Around this time every year
The days are getting cooler
And the holidays are near
Through tearful eyes, my heart returns
To the days of long ago
I hear that Singer sewing machine
As I watch our Mother sew
Pinto beans bubble on the stove
As Lena sets the supper table
Later, Daddy has to run the TV line
Though we know he's barely able
The noise from the tipple has quieted down
It won't be long till Daddy gets here
Mother has the wash tub full and hot
For when he sheds his coal miner's gear
Cheryl sees Daddy coming up the lane
And tells the others we'll be eating soon
The little ones head for the wash pan
Nine people fill the dining room
Daddy opens up his new Sporting News
Tunes the radio to the Dodgers game
Through all the static, he cheers them on
As they head toward World Series fame
After dark, we gather on the porch
Four girls sitting in the swing
Boys on the steps; parents in chairs
Daddy ready to pick as we sing
Singing hymns we learned in Sunday School
Before long, Daddy even chimes in
It thrills my heart to hear him sing
He just winks at me and grins
I want to meet them once again
Where I can listen by the hour
To all those familiar sounds of home
While Daddy picks Wildwood Flower
Kathleen McCoy Eldridge
© September 23, 2014
All Rights Reserved
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