Poppy"s Old Boots

He sat in his rocking chair,slightly bent, and his blue eyes twinkled as he Tpunched up the hot coals in the fireplace. The warmth of the fire gave his face a glow. His leathery skin was proof of his years of working the fields. His old flannel shirt, though torn, was clean and stitched. He had worked for his family in the coal mines and raised several of us children, never buying anything for himself. His pleasant smile reflected a gentleness, though tough as he was, he could cradle a sick baby or give a warm blessing at the dinner table. His old boots sat in the corner, and the bottoms were worn thin and there were holes in the toes. Those old boots were the same pair he wore to work when I remember him as a child, coming in with ice frozen on his clothes and his feet were so frozen we all had to help him take them off. Those old boots worked in the wet, cold dark coal mines, and his old jacket was worn and had been patched many times over. His face would be so blackened all we saw was the white of his eyes and his white teeth. Now he smiled with no teeth present, without proper care and money , he had lost his teeth very early. Through all the years Poppy saw to it that we always had a full table, a warm bed and a heart full of love and trust. I always felt secure knowing Poppy would keep out all boggie-men or wild animals or anything that we feared. We respected Poppy and as he slept, we tiptoed around the house and whispered. Mom would say "you could hear a pin drop" due to the quietness we had. When we were sick he would doctor us up and give us a treat when we got better, usually a jar of horehound candy or peppermint. Holidays were special and especially Christmas because Poppy always bought us a lovely doll and trucks for the boys, my older brother got a new red bike.Poppy never owned a car and his life revolved around the old farm. Raising our food and farm animals kept the family going and Mom took in ironing for neighbors. We home-made our clothes and Mom sewed for others for pay. I didn't know any other life except life on the farm . Poppy always took us to church, belting out "Amazing Grace" till the valley echoed with his voice and all of us prayed for everyone that need a blessing. After church we would sometimes have a big dinner of fresh fried chicken, the biggest on foot, fresh green beans, sweet potato pie, cornbread and fresh milk.Poppy was gone a lot when he worked in the mines on the hoot owl shift and weekend were very special..He looked older than his years but always was clean-shaven when he went out anywhere. I remember one suit he had.It was grey with pin stripes, with a blue shirt and he was so proud to dress-up. I sometimes wondered what could he be really happy about? But he always smiled and kept busy. As he punches the hot coals with the old black poker, the shadows flicker accross the room to the old pair of boots that Poppy wore. He put many miles on those boots, walked many rows of corn in the field and gathered the crops. The boots are resting by fireplace in the corner while Poppy remineses the pasr. His eyes are aglow with the innocence of a child and his stories of his own childhood keep us spellbound for hours. Poppy's old boots could outlast him but the memories we share will be here forever and as he takes a little snooze near the warm fire with his shawl around him, the Lord is watching over him just he watched over him over the years while he was wearing the old pair of boots........Yawning Yawning