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A weird tradition

Grandpa made his lighters well.

He would take an old paper
(a big broadsheet then)    
and separate a single page;
starting at one corner,
he would fold it into a long,
one-and-a-half-inch-wide strip,
and then this too was folded,
criss-crossed a dozen times,
and the ends tucked carefully in.

The result was a paper concertina,
perhaps ten inches long.
Once he had made several,
they looked identical.

Now I try to recreate his patient labour,
but my kids don't understand, and ask
'Why not crumple all the paper into balls? '

Not sure what to say, I just invent:
'Well, this activity's relaxing,
like yoga or Thai Chi:
I concentrate on folding paper,
and forget life's rougher side.'

I guess I should have said
'Grandpa's fires lit first time! '

Will they, or grandchildren  
(if they ever come)    
notice my old technique,
and carry on this weird tradition?
— Robert Melliard, Feb 17, 2009

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: Asturias, Spain

Favorite Poets: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Du Bellay, Metaphysicals, Petrarch, Dante, Baudelaire, Lorca, Becquer, Coleridge

More from this author

Critiques

Robert Melliard

Robert Melliard

17 years 3 months ago

Tradition

It's true that some traditions go while others stay, but I think the fact that grandparents aren't around most people's homes so often these days has something to do with the disappearance of many little pieces of practical knowledge which used to be carried on from one generation to the next. I have read your poem about love and lust and I find it intriguing and well-written, too. Perhaps I tend to see more lust in it than love, or a combination of the two, as I think another reader suggested. Best wishes, Robert.
R

R.M.Shanmugam

17 years 3 months ago

The way of telling is

The way of telling is charectristically engaging. shan
Robert Melliard

Robert Melliard

17 years 3 months ago

Engaging the reader

Many thanks for your positive comment. To engage the reader is really my main objective, whether writing in poetry or prose. Best wishes, Robert.