My grandmother Althea Ashby Kimball loved poetry and reading. I believe I was only 4 when she passed away so I only have 2 memories of my own with her. The first is her bending, with her arms wide open for me to run into as I entered the kitchen and ran across the floor to her. The second was a drawer, I believe in her kitchen, that held fascinating toys and kitchen utensils that I could play freely with near her side, as she worked in the kitchen.
Whenever I hear poetry recited I think of her and her love of the cadence and meaning of words.
As is tradition on the first day of June with my mother and me-- as it was with her mother and her, I share this poem.
"The Sunny First of June."
Put the books and slates away,
Today is the sunny first of June,
and we will go this afternoon,
Over the hills and far away
Hurray! We'll have a holiday
And through the wood and up the glade,
We'll go in sunshine, and in the shade,
Over the hills and far away
The wild rose blooms on every spray,
In all the sky is not a cloud
and merry birds are singing aloud,
Over the hills and far away.
Not one of us behind must stay,
But little ones and all shall go,
Where summer breezes gently blow
2 comments:
Such sweet memories. Grandma loved her grandchildren. She is where I learned to treasure mine, as well as my great grandchildren. The first of June is always a beautiful day. I wish we could get together and go across the hills to see the roses bloom. It would be a fine day.
Yes! I wish we could be together on June first each year. I was remembering the year we were in Provo, staying at the Kimball Cabin, on June first. We taught the kids the verses of the poem to recite and sat around the fire pit telling stories and roasting marshmallows. Fun memories.
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