• You sit and sewed
    For hours on end
    You made costumes
    For the Day of the Dead
    And pretty blue dresses
    That I keep today.

    You used to make us waffles
    That melted in our mouths
    You’d have me take them out to father
    When he was working

    You would always smile
    Even when you would wave your finger
    because I'd misbehaved.
    You always dressed so nicely
    So impeccable
    My grandma.

    I looked at your pictures
    The one of you when you were young
    I see me, but you

    You were always elegant
    Classy and rich

    I stared, but I did not see you.
    I saw a young woman
    With a cigarette
    But not my Nonie
    My nonie, with the pretty blue dresses

    In the hospital, you’d pout
    Your green eyes went wide
    And you looked like a girl
    Even with your wispy white hair
    and your wrinkled skin
    I loved you.

    I like to remember you in your better days
    When you were still okay.
    You always seemed so happy
    So busy
    Taking care of your family
    In the old Italian way.

    If I remember you this way
    I can be all right.
    I still cry,
    But I know you wouldn’t want that
    It’s all right to miss you
    The waffles and the dresses.
    But you wouldn’t let it bother you
    You would just march on
    In your forward way
    Because that’s who you were
    So I’ll keep my memories
    And keep going
    And I’ll picture you sewing in heaven
    With a smile and your waffles,
    Making pretty blue dresses for the angels.