Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

Never Left Empty-Handed
by Jennifer Kalafut

Ninth Contest
SECOND Place

I never left empty-handed. 
It's true. 
I never walked or rode my basketed, banana-seat bike home 
Without some kind of gift, 
When coming from Grandma's. 
If I hadn't won anything 
In that day's card tournament, 
She would inevitably come up with a consolation prize, 
Whether it meant digging through 
Her display case, 
Her jewelry box, 
Or her fridge. 
Every day, 
Grandma demonstrated 
Generosity, 
Love, 
& 
Excitement. 
She would get so wide-eyed 
Over the littlest things —
Literally, nickels and dimes — 
Especially if they meant 
A "quick game of war" or double solitaire. 
Despite the high stakes, 
Grandma played the game 
As though playing was what mattered, 
As though 
Winning or not winning 
The — indeed, very exciting — prize 
Wasn't the game's highlight. 
And Love. 
It never crossed my mind 
To doubt Grandma's Love. 
There was Love 
In every crumb of bread we fed to the birds, 
Every fit of laughter we shared, 
Every flower we watered, 
Every fingernail we painted. 
And yes, 
There was love 
In every envelope we mailed off 
To Publisher's Clearinghouse. 
I remember envisioning 
That "prize-patrol" van 
Driving down Old Peshtigo Road 
And turning slowly but decidedly 
Into the driveway 
Of an ever-hopeful 
Yet humbly unsuspecting 
Mrs. Louise Kalafut. 
Upon parking, 
Excitement 
Pops 
Out of the van 
In the form 
Of Ed McMahon, 
Cameras, 
Balloons, 
And of course, 
A ridiculously oversized check 
To accommodate all those zeros. 
For all this, 
Grandma would have been thrilled beyond words; 
But, what would have made her even happier 
Would have been 
The opportunity 
To redistribute 
All those zeros 
To all the people she loved. 
I didn't see it when I was younger, 
But Grandma was probably 
Just as excited 
About the dangling possibility 
Of that tiny dime 
For which we played cards 
As she was 
About the dangling possibility 
Of that oversized check; 
And, 
She would have been equally as quick 
To give either away 
To anyone 
Who might need it more. 
Generosity. 
Love. 
Excitement. 
Even in the nursing home, 
These last couple months, 
Grandma remained true to herself. 
One day, 
We were nearly set to play 
A round of King's Corner. 
My eyes scanned the room for a suitable prize; 
They landed on Grandma's sly smile. 
Somehow, 
The Alzheimer's missed making her forget 
The precise location 
Of a stashed bag 
Of chocolate candies. 
Problem solved: 
Chocolate 
is definitely something to create excitement. 
Well, we played, 
And Grandma won 
That piece of chocolate, 
Fair'n square. 
We all can imagine 
How much Grandma 
Wanted 
That piece of chocolate. 
But Grandma's sweet tooth 
Was outdone by her sweet heart... 
She wanted me to have 
That piece of chocolate 
More than she wanted it for herself. 
And I have always found it 
Particularly difficult 
To decline 
Something Grandma Kalafut had decided I should have. 
But that piece of chocolate, 
I realize, 
Was not just a piece of chocolate. 
It was the oversized check, 
The dime, 
The earrings: 
It was evidence 
For the way Grandma played, 
The way she lived. 
And given the admirable way 
She chose to live, 
I'm sure I don't speak for myself alone 
When I say that 
I live a better life 
Because of the way she lived hers. 
So, it's true that I never left empty-handed 
Coming from the friend 2 doors down, 
And it's true that, 
Even today, 
Grandma has not left the people she loved 
Empty-handed.