Wednesday, January 20, 2010

An Ode To Family




Oftentimes I'm asked,
Why I've made finding
my family a task.

So here below
My 'Ode to Family"
To you I bestow.

I have a 2nd great-grandfather
With whom I bother.

A bugler, a fifer, or a drummer
In the Civil War, which one was he?
I often wonder if he ever played the
'Yankee Doodle Dandy'.

And when he looked into the eyes
O' the young Irish lass,
I wonder if he told her
'Tis her beauty that could not be surpassed.

One more thing 'bout them I'd like to ask;
How long did it take for her to get him
to the altar for Catholic mass?

Then, so her courageous story won't get
Stuck in a drawer;
My great Aunt Anne I study more & more.
All about driving that ambulance in France
During the second World War;
I'd be honored to write her memoir.

Am I truly a daughter of the American Revolution;
A fifth great-granddaughter of a Patriot of this great nation?

I'd also like to close the book on the lives
Who were so violently taken;
So their memory will never be forsaken.

Arrgh! A pirate lurks way back there;
I often wonder, "Did he stand tall on his corsair?"

And let's not forget the history of transportation.
A Chief Messenger of the railway, and
A teamster from Michigan.

Then my grandfather the bean counter
Who quite a bit ago
Once worked for an oil company in Tampico.

Also the man who I would've loved to meet
Face-to-face;
Who definitely led me on a wild goose chase.
My Dad's dad who was so tight-lipped;
No matter, he was well worth the trip.

There is also my great-grandfather
Who came from Prussia on Christmas Day;
Who disembarked from his ship
To view the beautiful Galveston Bay.

Then there were those who were bawdy
After being given a toddy.

And yet still those who were a bit frisky
After a bit o' Irish Whiskey.

Those who acted bravely,
And those who acted cowardly.

There were those who were feisty, flirty & flowery;
And those who came with a helluva dowry.

Give me my ancestors who were considered tawdry;
Especially those who had a lot of jewelry.

How 'bout those whose plans went awry;
Who just simply wanted to sit down and cry?

Or the one who dared to defy;
Or maybe the one who dared not
Because she was too shy?

I have found none who left home
To marry a carny;
But I've come across a few that spoke
A lo' o' blarney.

There was the one I've heard
Who ran 'round like a banshee;
'Course, she was the sis of the
One who had a bat in the belfry.

Those who stretched the truth vastly;
And those who were downright ghastly.

Some could be considered
A "little miss goodie two shoes"
Yet there were others who
Hated to lose.

Some were quite girly;
While others were a bit burly.

Not all were part of the gentry;
The others came from the country.

There were those whose eyes were beady;
And some who were quite greedy.

Others with nose in the air
Were quite haughty;
Those who didn't care
Were especially naughty.

Some were liars;
And some were criers.

A few were klutzy;
But even more were gutsy.

Some were tall;
And some were small.

I even have a third great-grandma
Who supposedly was an herbal cure-all.

Then there were those who were grumpy;
And those who were seen as a bit frumpy.

"Heavens to Betsy!"
I'd be remiss;
If I didn't mention those
In absolute bliss.

There were those who were known
As "One Hot Mama";
However, I've yet to find one
Who owned a llama.

'Tis very true;
They are quite the motley crew.

But, Oh! How they sit there
In All their glory;
How could I not tell
Their Family Story?

[This poem, and I use the word loosely, was written for the 89th Carnival of Genealogy entitled, "Ode to My Family's History".  The beautiful banner was designed by the talented footnoteMaven.]

13 comments:

  1. A rhyme so fine. Congrats on completing your Ode! Well done.

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  2. Good job! I enjoyed reading this!

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  3. Aaaaaaa, I love it! Well done! I think a lot of people can relate to your family! :)

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  4. Great job! Loved it!

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  5. You definitely have a gift! Very creatively done!

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  6. Talented writer, Caroline. No wonder you won that caption contest LOL

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  7. How fun! Don't you love how eclectic families are? There are always stories to stumble upon. I love using them as starting points when I write fiction.

    Thanks, Carolyn, for another great post.

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  8. Tag, you're it ~ I've sent you A Blogger's Best Friend award ;-) You can pick it up here: http://bit.ly/53xgNc

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  9. I see you have already been honored with a Blogger's Best Friend Award, but I just had to give you a second one! I am SO blessed to have you in my life! Thank you for your everyday support and encouragement. I really appreciate it! :)

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  10. What a great job, loved your sense of humor in this one.

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  11. Caroline, Oh, what a fun romp through the family tree! Well done, and so very entertaining.

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  12. What an interesting and fun sounding Family Tree! You've done a great job in honoring and memorializing your family!

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