EVIL EYED GRANDMA
C.2003 M. BENNETT HOOPER
Aka mariondhooper
Do you ever wonder why Grandma’s who always sang gospel songs and
Rolled Bible verses off their tongues like melting honey also had an evil eye?
Like the time Leroy rolled on the floor laughing until he got close enough to
High sitting Miss Thelma and tried to look under her dress.
Well Grandma gave him the evil eye and his laughter turned into
The whooping cough sure as you are born to die.
Or the time Lou Ella’s daughter Princess got pregnant at fourteen and
Lou Ella said the baby’s daddy was Johnny James Oliver
Instead of her no good boyfriend Joe Willie Thompson.
Grandma told her to stop lying on Johnny James and send Joe Willie
one of two places to the graveyard or the penitentiary.
Well she gave Lou Ella that evil eye and don’t you know
Lou Ella stole big daddy’s shot gun to go hunting.
Joe Willie heard she was out hunting him and run away to new Orleans.
He went down there and got cut up by one of them Louisiana women.
Nobody that knew Grandma wanted to receive her evil eye
because Grandma was a Louisiana woman tried and true .
Grandma used to say the only thing worse than a Louisiana woman was a Louisiana man after a scalding.
Most of Grandma’s family was glad when she got saved but it sure was
Puzzling that she never stopped carrying that pistol in her pocketbook
Along with a rabbit’s foot and a sprig of mint.
Grandma told us that when she died
she wanted her rabbits’ foot put in the box with her.
I remember the wake night like it was yesterday.
Lou Ella was snorting and shouting , and pulling on her hair piece so hard
It fell right off in grandma’s face
and she was too scared of Grandma to pick it up.
The glue on Grandma’s left eye popped open.
Lou Ella messed on herself and fell out
Janie who said she wasn‘t going to put no rabbit foot
In Grandma‘s casket called Mr. Stennet the undertaker and told him to
Close Grandma‘s eye and put that damn rabbit foot in the casket.
And Grandma‘s evil eye closed for the last time..
Very original and shows a sure hand with the rhythm and word choice.
Sally Odgers.
Reviewed by Birdie Houston (Reader)
Reviewed on February 18, 2003
Marion I loved your write this was grand had me smiling and laughing hard. Excellent job from the beginning to the end !!!!!!
Reviewed by ya mama (Reader)
Reviewed on February 18, 2003
i love the language. do you read prose poems? this is one of them but w/ twist in the tongue. check out poetry by RUSSELL EDSON: he writes mostly in prose poem form. James Tate too.
This collection of poetry addresses the nature of time, reflections on the natural world, the difficulty of loss,
contemporary social issues and gratitude for life.
Share
Print
Save
Follow
Sally Odgers.
Sandie Angel :o)