Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

This weekend the UK will celebrate Mother’s Day and, as a girl, both grandmothers and great grandmothers were recognised too, for they were as much a part of the maternal teaching I received as a child as my own mother. This was written a couple of years ago, but as I’ve been caught up in making and fettling for the past few days, this poem came to mind, so I thought I’d share it again. It is a true story, and great grandma always seemed to choose the brightest colours for her darning…

“Tha’ mun mek’ do an’ mend, little lass,” Granny said

As she planted her small wisdom-seeds,

“Tha’ll not allus get what tha’ wants in this life…

And tha’ll not allus ‘ave what tha’ needs.”

*

Whenever I’ve needed the things I don’t have

Granny’s words have put me on my mettle.

“…an’ what tha’ can’t buy, tha…