I Learned About My Great-Grandmother Through Her Poems
My great-grandmother died years before I was born, so everything I knew about her came second-hand.
That is, until I found an old, blue, typewritten book among a stack of documents at my parents’ house. The stained cover read: “POEMS: Written by ANNIE HOFFMAN HANSON.”
I had stumbled upon a treasure trove — straight from the mind of my previously unknowable paternal great-grandmother.
As I poured over her poems, I learned a lot about Annie. I learned what she liked, what she disliked, and what made her laugh. I learned who her friends were, where she went to church, and how she spent her days. I got to know her life through these poems.
One of them perfectly describes what this collection means to me:
What You Put In Between
The sky is blue and the grass is green, It’s up to you what you put in between.
We can build a high tower, God’s kingdom to see, Or lie in the grass and among His works be.
We can seek many treasures of silver and gold Or sit in the grass and watch our lives mold.
We can be happy one time and sad the next. Or loving and giving or angered or vexed.
We can try to serve others and our duties fulfill Or build great character and God’s garden till
We can choose only good and right ways to follow Or shun the truth and in bad attitudes wallow.
We can ascend to the heights of great leadership fame,
Or be mediocre, or crawl off in shame. We can be good friends to those we love
Or discard them at will as we would a glove. Now will your sky be blue and your grass green?
And what will you put in between? It’s up to you. Work hard and ask God what to do.
Shortly after this discovery, I recompiled all of great-grandma Annie’s poems into a new book with color illustrations and a full introduction. It’s a book that describes what she put in between her blue skies and her green grass. It tells of her struggles, her triumphs, and her attitudes.
As you read, you will discover her world: what she made and what she left behind. I hope you enjoy getting to know my great-grandmother as much I did. And I hope you ask yourself this question: What will I put in between?