Nana's kitchen

Nana, the mother of our mothers and fathers You were our matricatch You were the referee between parents and children You kept us all in line No one was safe from a good telling off And we all found a safe haven from the world in your arms Whilst your home was not big in size It was a castle to us kids The playroom was a shoe cupboard * and we adored every minute of play time After all, what’s a small space when you have a big imagination? The kitchen is where my fondest memories of you live Where your infamous cure all soup had filled all our bellies Skinned knees? Get a bowl of soup! Broken heart? Fill the hole with soup! You got the job? I’ll make us some soup and tell me all about it There was not one of us whose tears you hadn’t dried, Nightmares you hadn't soothed and wails of sorrow you had not replaced with laughter. If we felt lost, you were there to guide us And if you didn’t have the answers you had a way of making us not feel so alone “It’s all a part of the journey of life pet” How many cups of tea had you filled us up with? How many biscuits had you served? And how many more did we pinch behind your back? And then it was our turn to care for you, Fed you medicine, Cooked you hearty meals, fill your bowl with soup Tucked you into bed and scare the monsters away Nana, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you and feel my heart ache a little, But thanks to the gift of time I find myself smiling about the good times More than I cry about your loss You were my protector and my confidant And whilst I didn’t have you for long enough I am so grateful for the time I had you When I am feeling a loss and have the urge to hear your soothing voice I’ll take myself to your kitchen and imagine you replacing my worries with soup Even if my imagination isn’t anything as good as the real deal The memory will bring me comfort. Thank you for a wonderful 23 years, Until we meet again Nana, you can live in my memories with me xxx *Literally a shoe cupboard!