I've Kept My Promise To Jimmy...

I Kept My Promise To Jimmy...

 By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

In my art room sits three chests
Three people whom I loved dearly
I have become Keeper Of The Ashes
Without meaning to I'm guardian of them

I put them in a happy room
Full of color and sunshine
It's a place I love to go
To paint, draw, to create

First, my mother's ashes were there
I put them in a beautiful chest with roses
Then, later in time when my brother
Rick-Rick died, he was placed beside our mother

Jimmy, my cousin, said that when one day
He died, he wanted me to place his ashes
beside my mother whom he loved
To 'match wits with her' like they used to

Match wits in the other world
Like they used to ... in this world years ago
One would think they were really angry
They weren't, they just loved to use words

To 'outbest' each other
Have the last word knowing they won
The contest of words, phrases
They saved especially for this....

Truthfully... I never heard a sound
In my art room, so.. I don't know if they ever matched wits
If they did, I'm sure Rick-Rick sat back laughing
Listening to the two them toss words back and forth

It's come time for Jimmy to go
To Oregon to be placed with his mother's ashes
It's time... it's time for me to let go
I've kept my promise to Jimmy

My heart feels good to send Jimmy
On his last trip to his sister, Linda
She will have their mother's ashes waiting
For Jimmy to join hers forever

Jimmy has traveled by plane, train and boat
On this trip, he will travel through postal mail
I know Jimmy would smile at knowing this
And say 'By cracky, if that don't take the cake!'

Go, Jimmy, go be with your mother now
I send you with peace of mind
Knowing that I did what you asked of me
I kept my promise to you... Jimmy

I love you my cousin, I always did
It's time to let your ashes go on their last trip
It's time I let go
I've kept my promise to you, Jimmy