Grandaddy

He liked his scrambled eggs a little runny

and could eyeball grits by the pot.

He taught us how to mix them

with our bacon and eggs

to form a perfect combination.

Grandaddy had the energy of an athlete

with a need for adventure and tons of excitement.

He had a love of all things simple

and a hunger to glorify God

by living the life he was given.

His hug was as soft as a teddy bear

but firm and full of love.

Though his laugh was silent

it sent his shoulders shaking and

could fill up an entire room.

If Grandaddy was a smell,

he’d smell like the dirt and soil that caked his gloves

and surrounded the flowers in his garden.

He’d smell like magnolias & honeysuckle

like the overflowing bushes in their old backyard.

Grandaddy wasn’t worn down like the

deck of cards he’d pull out to draw us

together around the kitchen table

and we’d laugh at his knack for winning

and the fact that he was always the champion.

He was a frugal man

who’d question my Starbucks obsession

when he knew you could get better for less at McDonalds.

And he was never one to pass up a good biscuit

or the fizzy deliciousness of a diet mountain dew.

He was a gardener

an after dinner dishwasher

a listener

a discount shopper

a father

a fly-fisher

a helping husband

a quiet listener

a newspaper reader

a loyal friend

and now he’s an angel.

RIP JERRY MADDOX

1938 - 2011