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Poet’s Corner: Shari Paynter

By Staff | Mar 7, 2007

Editor’s note: Tonganoxie residents Shari and Ken Paynter wrote this poem for Shari’s grandmother, who turned 90 on Nov. 9. Her grandmother, Henriette Seely, lives on the farm outside Hubbard, Ore., that Shari’s father grew up on, drives into town every day and takes only an aspirin a day to stay healthy. Shari’s mother and father, Harold and Joan Seely, flew to Oregon to surprise Shari’s grandmother on her birthday.

Happy Birthday Grandma

As we counted the time until that day is clear

We go through life remember

When and what year.

It’s been a long time to get to this place.

I always remember my grandmother

With a smile on my face.

You lived a life that’s been full and fun.

I think of all great things that you have done.

You have a love of all creatures great and small,

Especially for those ones that bark, hop or crawl.

We never lost sight of the way we cared.

I’ll never forget the new memories

That we have shared.

I have a mom, a dad, three sisters and a brother.

But you will always be the greatest grandmother.

When you were young, letters were sent at the pace of a snail.

But nowadays, things are fast with electronic mail.

When we went to your house, our family was glad and when we had

To leave and go home, I would always be sad.

And here we are now

This poem has almost been sung

To a wonderful person who is

Ninety years young.

— Shari Paynter