A salute to grandmothers,

To women who taught women to raise women like us.

Grandmothers, visionaries with foresight without four sight

Women of industry paying their way, paving ways way before a Beyoncé lyric

A toast to our grannies,

To women with tolerance spreading the equality and kindness no Movement can bring

Grandmothers, trusting an unseen God long before Pentecostal rascals recited rhymes of rapture

Women who brought in and shoved out children with heart, with compassion, with truth

A thank you to grand mums,

To little women with big hearts, big smiles, big hugs

Grandmothers, strong partners to stronger men

Women with tricks to happy homes and husbands no Steve Harvey knows

To grandmothers, the tree on which our life’s root stems

I thank you.

In loving memory of my grandma Oju Briggs (nee Jack), for being in every way a lady.
Forever loved, never forgotten.
1927-2015.

(PS: Look at my grand parents in that picture looking way flyer than a day old chick, bringing that 1940s’ heat!)