The Mean Old Lady On The Porch

She’s so old and mean, she sits and stares

watching us with her icy glare

Is she mad at us for bouncing a ball

Or is it because we’re four feet tall?

Does she frown at us girls and boys

‘cause we make far too much noise?

Sean says she’s just plain mean and so does Matt

They said if she smiled, her face would crack!

Tanya told the story and Chris approved

Of how the lady once had her smiler removed!

This all seemed so silly, I thought to myself

As I put the ball back on the shelf

There was a flower in the yard

I picked it, sighed and swallowed hard

And walked up to her, saying with a smile

Hi, I’ve lived next door for quite a while

I’m glad I’m your neighbor and just want to say hi

then a tear streamed down from her eye

After we talked a while I saw she wasn’t mean

Sometimes people aren’t what they seem!

A Note From The Author: This poem, “The Mean Lady On the Porch” was inspired by Willow Werkhaven, the incredible woman who lived next door to my childhood home. My only living grandparent died when I was seven so Mrs. Werkhaven became my surrogate grandmother (and friend). She had a reputation for being grumpy and because of this she was feared by many of the children of the neighborhood but her and I got along splendidly. She taught me how to play piano at age four and exposed me to a whole world of culture through many stories of her world travels. We spent many hours together talking on her porch in the summertime. I also learned through the experience of our friendship to get to know someone before you form an opinion of them, this has come in handy as an adult. I believe I’m a better person for having known Mrs. Werkhaven and I dedicate this poem to her.

This poem is from my children's poetry collection, "12 From Memory Lane."

A Note From The Artist: It was a privilege to illustrate one of Eric's first childhood inspired poems from his collection. Thank you!

Illustration © Johanna Westerman 2016 exclusively for Eric's poem.

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