“oh grand-mere“ - comments
I was raised a couple of miles from my maternal grandparents. Both immigrants, I can’t imagine the courage it took for them to come to the States. Given the caustic ethnic bias against Italians at the turn of the century, this was particularly true for my grandfather’s family. Of my great grandparents I only remember grand-mere. Though perhaps a bit stern, I recall being delighted with her as she bounced me on her knee and sang to me in French. (Perhaps I will use one of those songs someday.) Because she passed when I was still very young, most of what I know about her comes through family stories. But not everything. Some of “her” was deeply embedded in my grandmother and my own mom. Perhaps unconsciously they sometimes parroted grand-mere. Because grand-mere never learned English, my sister and I were raised with some broken French. For example, I still respond viscerally to the phrase, “tais-toi.” My favorite phrase, however, which really stands outside of language is "Oh Ye, Oh Ye.” Reportedly this was a phrase grand-mere used when she was frightened, disturbed, or otherwise deeply distressed. As a child I remember being in the car with my grandmother when something would set her off. She would blurt out, “Oh Ye, Oh Ye.” Same with mom. The first time mom came to visit in Boston I drove her out to see Walden Pond. It took less than 10 minutes of Boston-style traffic and driving for mom’s “Oh Ye’s” to come flying. Not surprisingly the phrase also became part of my lexicon. This song sprang from a dream I had about grand-mere. The dream reminded me of a family story from apparently simpler times and grand-mere looking toward the sky. It brought to mind her hopes and her fears and, after these many, many years I once again felt a profound connection to her. Oh ye, oh ye…. |
oh, grand-mere
oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye. I see words appearing in the sky, run grab Mary, sure the time is nigh. oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye. I see words appearing in the sky, (surely words appear, in the sky. run!) run grab Mary, sure the time is nigh. now are those horns? or are those wings? or are those hoofbeats, of all things? are those angels that I see? or something else, that frightens me, oh ye. oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye, oh ye. oh, grand-mère I always hoped for this as the way we’d go out. oh, grand-mère I always hoped for this as the way we’d go out. sunlight that is behind me, casts my shadow endlessly. sunlight that is behind me, casts my shadow endlessly. Oh ye... all instruments and vocals glenn
cover photo by rae all materials copyright © 2020 glenn wiggins |