Welcoming Springtime in Indiana

 

Welcoming Springtime in Indiana

 

(An Essay in Poetic Stanzas of Memoir)

 

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

 

Not a red carpet,

but a checkered black-and-white carpet

welcomes springtime and 33 drivers to Indiana.

The green flag is waved

while racing and springtime burst forth

in my Hoosier homeland.

 

The rototiller is in the garden,

the Wheel Horse is trimming the green grass,

the tractors are in the fields,

and the Indy cars are at the Speedway.

 

The sweet peas are trailing up the east fence,

the irises are reaching toward the sun,

the dogwoods are blossoming in pale pink,

the calves are in the pasture,

and the crowds are in the stands

for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

 

The hooks in the ceiling of our big front porch

held nothing all winter;

but now, my dad stretches his 6’1″-frame

and places a link on each hook

so that, blessedly once again,

our varnished and beloved wooden swing

is on the porch of our Blanford home.

 

Sitting beside my dad

on our front porch swing,

I witness his enthusiastic “Hello!”

and his massive Hoosier wave

to a peopled car that drives down

our rural cut-off road.

Puzzled, I ask my smiling father,

“Who was that?”

Wearing his cap with the Indy 500 logo,

my dad grins and says,

“I don’t know.”

 

A checkered flag, a porch swing,

and my dad’s Hoosier wave

were all that were needed

to begin welcoming all

to springtime in Indiana.

 

 

May 10, 2015, Sunday

 

Post-script: 123 years ago today (May 17), my paternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Liza) Massa, was born in Italy. My dad (James F. Massa), her second son of six children, was the inspiration for the above poem and for the many smiles of my life.

 

May your day be filled with smiles and happy greetings–

and enjoy the Indy 500 qualifications this weekend!

Alice and Zoe

 

May 17, 2015, Wednesday

 

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