NELLO'S PEACEFUL EYES

Today would mark a century
If still you walked with us.
A hundred easy footsteps
You made without a fuss.

A strong and simple silence
You carried like a wheel,
Rolling through your labors
With arms of hardened steel.

Never with a heavy hand
And kindness in your heart.
Surprisingly, the callouses
Were the warm and softest part

The smell of sweet tobacco
Takes me back some years
And I see you in the threshold
With a smile that reached both ears.

When I was scared or injured
Your arms would shelter me,
With words to soothe and comfort
From the pulpit of your knee.

"You must always listen to Papa"
The wisdom from your lips,
I took upon my journeys
And sailed on all my ships.

I tried to win your favor
And to never disappoint,
Craving the approval
That your blessing would anoint.

You'd reach into your coin purse,
When I achieved my goal
And produce a shiny silver piece
That always joyed my soul.

I miss the graceful way you moved
And how you loved to dance.
Pursuing all the wild game,
Life was your romance.

The saddest day that I recall
Was the day my father cried,
When cancer finally stopped your feet
And they told me you had died.

I reached into my pocket
And found some precious metal.
To this day I cherish every coin
Like a rose and every petal.

If I could spend the dollar
To buy a second chance
I'd place my tiny feet on yours
Again, so you could dance.

I'd look into your handsome face
And the ocean of your eyes
Bluer than the earth from space
and brighter than the skies.

Where there's only truth and honesty
And nothing to disguise,
In the safety and tranquility
Of Nello's peaceful eyes.

I'll always wear your number
As a tribute for your gift
And give you credit for the best of me
While the silver dollars shift.

Fully responsible,
Or at least, in part,
For giving "The Poet"
His well-kept heart.

RMB, OD
11/11/11
For my beloved Grandfather on his 100th birthday.