Uncle George’s House

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The grownups visited in the basement

That basement that George was so proud of

He paneled it in that 1960’s style

Cheap, but effective, like a boys clubhouse

Leonia and George hosted parties and dinners down there

She cooked and he tended behind the bar he built

Gossip and politics;

One cousin was lazy

Another cousin wore her skirts too short

Nixon was a communist

My crime was general mischief

I’d retreat to the attic

Doing what I enjoyed most

Being alone in a house full of people

Alone but not alone…I’ve always liked that feeling

The presence of people in the house

The smell of alcohol and cigarettes

The fading smell of Turkey cooking

The fading smell of Baking pies

Those smells bring all that back

Back to me alone in the attic

Watching “Holiday Inn” and dreaming my dream world

A snow bound house in the country

Barely 13, I wanted to kiss Virginia Dale

I’d raid the ice box in a kitchen that wasn’t really mine

Borrowed like so many other kitchens

Welcome but still outside

But the memory is all mine

Bing, Fred, and Virginia

Ginger ale and turkey sandwiches

Slowly, imperceptibly weaves the fabric

The fabric of our being

One stitch at a time

© Glenn R Keller 2023, All Rights Reserved

One response to “Uncle George’s House”

  1. Great stuff! Now I have to google Virgina Dale!

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