The Story Behind the Poem: My Grandmother's Eyes

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     My grandmother, Edith Rosetta Stefani Kells, died Nov 21, 1982. She had big brown eyes and my mother always told me that I had her eyes. When my daughter, Devin, was born she also had the same big brown eyes, "my grandmother's eyes." After she died I wrote this poem for her, focusing on the eyes and the continuance of life as shown in the eyes. My daughter's daughter, my granddaughter, also has the eyes!

Oddly, my own eyes changed color when I was 40, they are now hazel and at times, green. But my daughter and granddaughter still have my grandmother's eyes.


My Grandmother's Eyes


My Grandmother's eyes

in the old school photos

so solemn,

from hard work and sorrow.


My Grandmother's eyes

in a moment of love,

so soft,

unaccustomed to softness.


My Grandmother's eyes

in her last years of life,

so weary,

in pain closed forever.


My Grandmother's eyes,

in my own daughter's face,

so eager,

my Grandmother's eyes

live forever.


 My grandmother age 8

 my granddaughter age 2

 my daughter age 5




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