Lavinia Gertrude
My grandma swam the English Channelwith a knife in her teeth & her sights set on HitlerShe had webs between her toes
arms like an albatross
she cut through the water like the Cutty Sark\
She was porpoised with a purpose
had Hitler on her mind
she was cruising with the currents
when her downstroke changed her life
In the middle of the night
she saw the oceans moon burn bright
with her swim cap under seas
she was blinded by the light
the knife fell out of her gaping mouth
her mission drowned
as she spiraled down
into the darkest water,
water that's barely wet
into the deepest pocket
into the bluest vest
then she came to where the light met dark
she'd been pulled to breath by Wilhelm Stark
he'd been fishing in the spot where the earths moon above sat
he liked the way the waves played with his time
he was floating from the war
too much blood too many crimes
he had left a sign "gone fishin'"
on his Panzer tank last night
he was jawing a hard candy
like each crunch was dynamite
he tugged at his pant leg
more than on his fishing line
when the last crunch cracked
his line went slack
he was set to let
the tide take him back
to his homeland
1 less dose of cyanide
then a swimmer girl
from distant shores
from the corner of his eyes
made him drop his pole
drop his pill
grab life with both arms.
Lavinia Gertrude was married to William Stark for over 50 years. She lived to be 100 years old. She is my grandmother. I played minature golf with her when I was 9 and she was 90. At Nunleys, in Roosevelt Park,NY. When she was 93 she put on 3-D glasses & watched a Rolling Stones concert on MTV with me. She had webbed feet . She was beautiful and funny and she is missed. William took me fishing every summer for eels & snappers in the Long Island Sound. We always went to the same pizza place after. Best slices I've ever eaten. every time. He always had a hard candy for me. Butterscotch , from his vest pocket. He was strong and loving and he too is missed.
had Hitler on her mind
she was cruising with the currents
when her downstroke changed her life
In the middle of the night
she saw the oceans moon burn bright
with her swim cap under seas
she was blinded by the light
the knife fell out of her gaping mouth
her mission drowned
as she spiraled down
into the darkest water,
water that's barely wet
into the deepest pocket
into the bluest vest
then she came to where the light met dark
she'd been pulled to breath by Wilhelm Stark
he'd been fishing in the spot where the earths moon above sat
he liked the way the waves played with his time
he was floating from the war
too much blood too many crimes
he had left a sign "gone fishin'"
on his Panzer tank last night
he was jawing a hard candy
like each crunch was dynamite
he tugged at his pant leg
more than on his fishing line
when the last crunch cracked
his line went slack
he was set to let
the tide take him back
to his homeland
1 less dose of cyanide
then a swimmer girl
from distant shores
from the corner of his eyes
made him drop his pole
drop his pill
grab life with both arms.
Lavinia Gertrude was married to William Stark for over 50 years. She lived to be 100 years old. She is my grandmother. I played minature golf with her when I was 9 and she was 90. At Nunleys, in Roosevelt Park,NY. When she was 93 she put on 3-D glasses & watched a Rolling Stones concert on MTV with me. She had webbed feet . She was beautiful and funny and she is missed. William took me fishing every summer for eels & snappers in the Long Island Sound. We always went to the same pizza place after. Best slices I've ever eaten. every time. He always had a hard candy for me. Butterscotch , from his vest pocket. He was strong and loving and he too is missed.
