emigration poem # 1Â
she was 6 months old, my grandma, cuddled Â
in the lap of her mother as the two large families Â
waited on the birmingham dock to board the ship Â
that would carry them to america the baby’s aunt Â
looked critically at the infant’s bonnet then said to Â
the mother, “Where’d you get that ‘at?” my great- Â
grandma meekly replied “I have another in me bag.” Â
her sister-in-law: “Prithee put it on.” where did I
get this 1858 glimpse with its accurate wording, Â
scene, personalities? from my favorite great-aunt, Â
9 at that departure, who told us in her clipped midlands’ Â
accent, which accent, memories she never lost
2022 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Meet us at Southtown.
