Those We Love

Those we love don't go away They walk beside us everyday And, I wish you knew her When You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown was running I wish you would’ve seen her that night Beaming with pride At her grandchild who had been cast in the role Of Snoopy as a freshman. I wish you knew her When she’d dress all up in her Packers gear on a Sunday Even when they were having a ty season And were probably going to lose for the third week in a row. I wish you knew her When she’d walk into church in the winter Wearing the same black coat with the fluffy hood Looking as extravagant as always. I wish you knew her When she embarrassed me at family dinner After learning that I had sex ed for the first time And screaming “Scrotum” across the house. I wish you knew her When she’d sit with me for hours Doing handwriting workbooks, unknowingly Instating my love for writing from the start. I wish you knew her When she’d carry out those little Kool Aid bottles With the child proof tops Cheering that none of us had fallen off our bikes. I wish you knew her When she’d make her famous red cake Waiting for the moment when my mom’s face lit up Even though she expected the cake every year. I wish you knew her When she’d call my mom up on a Saturday morning Decide we are going out to lunch And then take us shopping. I wish you knew her At back to school clothes shopping When she’d look at us in awe while we paraded around Showing off the matching outfits she’d picked for us. I wish you knew her Before her cancer Before she lost her energy And before we lost her forever. I wish you knew her Before we got that call with her diagnosis So that you could’ve been by my side While I watched her slowly waste away. I wish you knew her And I wish she knew you I know she would’ve loved you Just as much as I do. I wish you knew her In her happy, energetic days Before her cancer took over And took her away. I wish you knew her And loved her like your own So you could’ve seen her For the hero I’ve always known. I love you, Grandma.