Grandparents, A Forgotten Link Poem by John A'Hern

Grandparents a forgotten link
Not always there when you could not think
A teenager without Grandparents, down in the dumps
There through childhood, when you had the grumps
Always listened, sometimes the wrong answer
Then words that make us afraid
Past on, what does it mean? Please explain?
Explanations were given, sometimes the wrong reasons
Family goes quiet, children and women wait
Males of the family attend a wake
More explanations, words just words
Empty chairs wait with no one there
The listener, the answer or advice givers gone
A father acknowledges your presence
Answers to questions do not come easily
Teenagers do not understand this interaction
Fathers the bastion, Mothers the carers
Each has their own command
Later in life you relive these moments
Looking for someone to speak gently
Just being understood is all we ask
Teachers, mentors, where are you?
It is too late to ask you?
Questions are your own, answers are known