My own writing prompt from Wonder Wednesday swung me around.

                                                                                     I expected to write a Rapunzel like story of love and  rescue (and I still may) but instead the wonderful old gospel refrain “the gate swings wide on the other side” got stuck in my head. I had to looked it up and what opened for me was a river of memory of listening to my Mother and Grandmother singing and humming sweet old gospel songs as they worked.


 a buzz of hymn singing

was the background sound of my childhood.

“the old rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame”

accompanied dish washing and ironing.

If Grandma or Mama was feeling cheerful “What

A Friend  we have in Jesus” might be splashed

in with the Palmolive and spray starch.

If Daddy had to work too many overnight shift

the clothes might be pinned on the line with

“I come to the Garden alone while the dew is still on the roses…”

That seemed to be on the top of Mama’s Gospel Chart

because it also accompanied everything

form pickle making to floor waxing,

I am still convinced that floors won’t shine without a hymn.

For these woman housework was all they knew

my mother the child of the depression.

my grandmother a true pioneer woman.

she lived in a sod house and road from Colorado

to Arkansas in a covered wagon

They didn’t need to go to church,

their own voices provided the

 “blessed assurance”  of

love and rescue where “gates swing wide”  and

dewy gardens have

Fifty Miles of Elbow Room

When the gates swing wide on the other side,
Just beyond the sunset sea.
There’ll be room to spare as we enter there.
There’ll be room for you and room for me.
For the gates are wide on the other side,
Where the fairest flowers bloom.
On the right hand and on the left hand,
Fifty miles of elbow room.

I am going to add my voice to our UU Church’s folk group singing “A Closer Walk With Thee”  this Sunday. I’m taking courage from the voices of Edith and Kerlisa, my mother and my grandmother.

What are your memories of childhood sounds?

13 thoughts

    1. Thank you Barbara, The photo is from my IPHONE having it helps me look for pictures everywhere I go. It is so easy and fast to capture the moment. Close as I can get to having a camera built into my eyes 😉

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  2. Beautiful post, Carol. Its amazing how songs can take us back to a moment and replay themselves inside our heads. I don’t know this particular hymn but I love the words – thank you for sharing this.

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    1. Music is a sure fire vehicle for time travel, isn’t it? I’m still looking for a good youtub of 50 Miles of Elbow Room when I find it I’ll pass it on one way or the other. Thanks for your ever insightful comment.

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  3. My Mother would hum some hymn’s now and then, especially while doing the wash every Monday morning. I still remember the sound of that old ringer washer early every Monday. School was out for the summer and we had all the windows open and we could all hear the trains going thru downtown. That was still in the days that all us kids used to go outside and play and not come in until dark. I do enjoy thinking about the “olden days”. lol
    Lots of good memories of my neighbors. Glad my mind is still good enough to remember!!!! Hee, hee

    NDL

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  4. I love it! Beautiful imagery, such a warm sense I felt like I was there, I love that their faith and lives were one in the same…I especially like, “I am still convinced that floors won’t shine without a hymn.” Awesome!

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