My Jewish Grandmother

When Jame was in Kindergarten
she announced that she had
three grandmothers:
Nannie Lewis, Grandma Richards,
and Grandma Schaefer.

Puzzled, the teacher asked,
"Are you sure?"

Jame replied, "Grandma Schaefer
is my Jewish grandmother."

Later Jame was disheartened to learn
that indeed, Grandma Schaefer was
Susan, Carl, and Howard Weinberg's
grandmother but not her's.

"We call her grandmother
to show respect," I said.

"But she sends the chopped liver," Jame said,
shaking her head.

And in truth, Regina Schafer
always remained for Jame
her grandmother.

I can't remember a time
when Grandma Scaefer wasn't
knitting.

She would travel from Long Island
back to Brooklyn to see "the knitting lady."
And return with skeins of yarn
and new purpose.

As she approached her eighties
her daughters and grandchildren
would make trips to Brooklyn
for needed yarn.

She knitted size 42 men's sweaters
and Vogue patterned dresses...

Today I'm admiring
a light blue shrug
she made for my mother.

It is four rows of garter stitch
a long lace-like loop
and another four rows of garter stitch.

I will have to confer
with my knitting lady
to master the secret of that pattern.

Grandma held the belief
that she would never die
until her knitting
was complete.

Superstitsion, crone wisdom...
Who is to know?
But Regina Schaefer held faith
in knitting as her life line.

I lived far away
and had not seen her for many years
when she died.

I never thought to ask...
Were there stitches still left
on her needle?

With Jame I claim
Regina Schaefer as my grandmother.

Like Regina Schaefer
knitting is life force for me.

But unlike Regina
I don't believe
I can ever finish
all the projects
I'd like to do.

And I'd like to end
with stitches on the needle.