The Rose of the Garden

The following is a tribute to my beloved grandmother that is currently bedridden in a hospital in Florida; I feel helpless and there is absolutely nothing I can do, but sit here and hope/pray for a miracle... This poem is a tribute to the life of a wonderful woman who pioneered a new way of spreading love throughout a family; my grandmother, Nancy Diehl, is a woman of grace and undying love that has kept our family together more than we shall ever know. It is said that the most beautiful blossom has roots that run deep into the compost and mud. My grandmother had a hard life, but is the most beautiful and gentle soul that I know because of it. I wish I could be more like her. She is strong, yet unhardened by life. She is wise and caring without being domineering. She is a bright light and beacon to anyone who knew her; the world shall mourn when that light goes out.


The Rose of the Garden

Sunlight falls upon a rose
in the garden within my heart.
I sit and gaze at her beauty
for she clearly stands apart.
Her roots run deep within the soil;
her thorny stem rises above its earthy bed.
The Rose’s leafy garment catches the light.
The blossom’s petals crest deeply red.
This Rose is special to me
for she was the first one to grow.
Her seeds have spread so quickly
that there are so many Roses to show.
Nancy Diehl is this Rose
I speak of and call by name.
For she and this Rose, I tell you,
are very much the same.
Nancy’s roots deeply run
to a farm where chickens played.
Her father, Oscar, was a hard-working man.
Her mother’s acquaintance was never made.
As we move from her roots,
circumstance by which she was born,
we know that upon her thorny stem
her unknown mother is her first thorn.
The stem of this Rose marks in Life
the trying times she lived through.
Her childhood may have had many sharp thorns,
but, they also guided her too.
These thorns led her from Martha to Martha,
from stepmother to best friend she puts on a shelf.
For it was with her in Louisville, Kentucky,
she gained independence and found herself.
From this point, she branches and grows
her leaves to catch the light.
A new life of joy and pleasures,
instead of cold dreadful nights.
Call each leaf a pleasure
or hobby that Nancy created.
The “talkie” star Tex Ritter was one
even though his movies were berated.
Another leaf is Al Joelson
saying, “Mammy!” across the movie set.
Tom the Chicken is another leaf
for he was Nancy’s favorite pet.
Upon this strong stalk is another branch;
a special branch with its own side
adorned with five rosebuds upon it,
I call this branch Clyde.
Nancy had met him dancing
at an NCO club in Fort Knox.
She had caught his eye two nights before.
Nancy sure was a fox!
Their first date was on her birthday.
How ironic this all seems.
She nabbed and married cocky ol’ Clyde
and began fulfilling her dreams.
Those five beautiful buds upon that branch
are the overflowing of Nancy’s cup;
Tony, Karen, and Patty…
Deb and Eddie… who we call “Gup”.
Each bud is a special color
portraying their talents and their pros.
Each one is a living and brilliant tribute
to this wonderful mother rose.
And now we gather in the garden,
all of your roses and seedlings too,
to show how much we adore and respect
such a wonderful person like you.
For without YOU, this ground be barren,
empty and dead in strife,
but as you can see, there is seven decades of growth…
a living celebration of YOUR LIFE!

We all love you beyond expression, Grandma! The world is a better place for just having you in it.