In the mill city, miles and decades from chez nous,
In the three-deckered sector where mémère retired,
It was common at la fête de Noël to observe
That the candles in windows were orange in hue.
We children were shushed into silence. None asked,
Why are your candles that unseasonal color?
You know the right pallette is pine bough and cherry—
Not the color of pumpkins from Halloween time?
And, plus, on Saint Patrick’s Day, we should refrain
From wearing that shade, that, for reasons unclear
Could cause a commotion out in the school yard:
Hibernian children were sure to be watching!
Was hers a political statement? A stand
’Gainst those who preceded us by a few years
And snatched the good jobs on the factory floor
While we wrestled with unpronounceable words?
Mais non! Mémère’s own daughter wed long ago
An Irishman’s son and no comments were made.
So the thought that she’s waving a partisan flag—
And at Christmas! — seemed utterly beyond conception.
Was she unaware? Stupid, as some French were called?
Was my own mémère lacking in class or IQ?
Such thoughts reddened cheeks: have some loyalty, son,
For those who have lived six more decades than you!
So this impenetrable mystery languished until
In a late-life éclat, everything was revealed.
No dimness of mind, no old country innocence
No chauvinist ardor or obstinate streak
Caused mémère and her neighbors to decorate so.
Her husband long dead and her working days over,
She hunted for discounts and deals when she shopped:
Orange lightbulbs were half-priced at Bradlees’s and Zayre’s.
Chez nous: literally “at us” — that is, back home.
Mémère: grandmother
La fête de Noël: literally the feast of Christmas — Christmas time
Mais non!: But no
Éclat: A sudden burst of light or mental clarity
Bradlees’s and Zayre’s: now-defunct discount store chains
As a daughter of that Irishman that "Memere's own daughter married", I found this post especially entertaining.
The flag of Ireland is Green, White and Orange so those orange lights caused only happy feelings of solidarity here in this half French Canadian / half Irish Family ;)
Top of the Mornin' to Ya' and Bon Matin <3
Oh my Goodness Jean, that is fantastic!! Your description is spot on about our jobs as teens to push boundaries to see where they are ... and about my father's ability, with very few words, to let you know exactly where that line was drawn.
I too was the recipient of that look on more than one occasion or in the audience when it was directed at one of my sibs.
I think I have inherited that look too. There are no Poker Faces in this family