Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Back To School

Mom is third from the left.
‘T’was seventy-six years ago this year,
On Alberta’s new frontier.
My Mama started school that day,
In Millicent, not that far away.

Swedish was what she knew the best,
And not a word of all the rest.
But for this day that pint-sized girl
Would, English, give a little whirl.

Her mama coached her carefully,
On what to say at Teacher’s knee.
The words that would the class transfix?
“My nom Enes, I’m halfpastsix.”

Clutching book in tiny hand,
Mama entered ‘No-Girl’s Land’,
Then sat down in the nearest seat,
And tried to make herself discreet.

But Teacher saw her sitting there,
With press-ed dress and flaxen hair,
And called to her to please advance,
And of her schoolmates, get a glance.

My Mama went, but she was tense,
She did not want to be thought dense,
So, hoping they would not despise,
Recited what she’d memorized.

But when her class did mock with glee,
The words she’d said so carefully.
My Mom, like ice (or stuff that melts),
Wished she could be someplace else.

From then, my Mom deliberately,
Forget her Swedish publicly,
And ever after English spoke,
When e're she talked with other folk.

Before you sympathize too much,
For kids that did make fun and such,
Please note Mom didn’t cry or bawl,
And scholastically outpaced them all.

Every Month, Karen of Baking in a Tornado issues a challenge. In rhyme.
This month? Back to School
Where would I go but back to the past?

See what these other bloggers have done with the theme!
Karen of Baking In A Tornado: The Evolution of Back to School
Dawn from Spatulas On Parade: Back to School and Off the Streets
Jules of The Bergham Chronicles: Summer’s End

12 comments:

  1. Your mom outclassed them. And then she surpassed them . . . in class! Now I see where you get your brains and tenacity from.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good for your mom! She really showed them. I enjoyed your poem and could see that little flaxen haired girl standing straight as an arrow at the head of the class.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cheers for both of you. The apple didn't fall far from the tree...

    ReplyDelete
  4. She was one tough little cookie...and that was one terrific poem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you my friend! Mom was my greatest example of grace and tenacity.

      Delete
  5. I love your last two lines! The icing on the cake :)

    ReplyDelete

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