Tiger Lily

This is a poem about my mama's life.  She was a tough little kid and a fighter.  She grew up during the big Depression and my grandfather, a single father did the best he could to raise her up.  This is a picture of her wearing his watch.


Covered in coal mine dust
buried 3 times
grandpa raised his girl
she watched for him
at night, alone, 5 years old
his headlamp lit up
more than his path home
Motherless mama
hair shaved off
kerosene oil
drowning the lice

What did he think
while buried, contorted
like a pretzel
breathing
through a pipe
did he cry
did he pray
did he swear
he never said he was afraid

When he guarded
the company store
atop the roof with a rifle
would he have killed
the thieves..
this proud man who
came to America
from Italy on a ship
alone, age 17

His food went to mama
the whiskey to himself
she sat under his barstools
with her dolls
and waited
Closing her eyes
when he fought

He laughed
when she came home
with a doll instead
of a dress
She wore his watch
when she was scared

She was Tiger Lily
she fought the teacher
who refused to excuse her
who put her face
in her puddle of urine
grandpa took a shovel to the woman
her husband a knife to his throat
a long scar on his chin
gave testimony

She was Tiger Lily
she fought her grandmother
who yanked her by her hair
did not bathe her
tossed her leftovers

Grandpa, a werewolf by drink
An angel by sober
A musician, a singer, an artist
A gardner, a dancer
A cook
A coal miner

Toddy, Tone-geech, Goom-pa

Tiger Lily hid under blankets
she never came out from
she cried out from her sleep
for "mama" her whole life

Black lung
hacked him to pieces
his sins hidden deep
in his heart of pain

He left his little girl/woman
his head lamp extinguished
his penance over

His song
loud in his family's memories......


2010 Rozanna Landavazo