It all started when my Dad was born sweet off the vine in ’29,
He was the seventh of eleven children.
He would give you his lunch, and would not whine
If you needed it more than he.
For you see my Dad could not stand things not to be right, you see.
Dad was a product of the depression in Texas,
However, he did not know what it was to be poor
Because even though he knew his family did not have any money, he always felt secure
By just knowing that he had his big family’s love for sure.
In his youth during the summer months,
My Dad would work as a gardener, then later as a chauffeur.
By then, he was lean and tall and could charm all the pretty women,
Nevertheless, he had his sights set on one special Elizondo Lady named Maria.
My Mom had come from a family of two,
She grew up playing the piano, learning manners, etiquette, and all that stuff,
She went to high school and did agree to date and pursue,
The skinny young Collazo that she knew.
My Dad married my Mom; then Dad needed a trade, and soon learned to be a plumber.
He was good with his tools and his hands,
Like his Father before him, he enjoyed carpentry, and such,
He always had some project going that would involve us kids to assist much.
Soon all four boys were all in school,
My Dad and Mom would run Bingos and festivals at St. John Bosco and Holy Cross.
These school festivals would never lose money when My Dad would grill the best barbeque and schishkabobs,
They would both sweat and toil to ensure we had the best schooling to ensure we got the best jobs.
For not only did My Dad and Mom ensure that we had food at our table and a roof over our heads,
But they taught us virtues; to do what was right, to be fair, and to be kind to all folks they said,
My Brothers and I always saw this by their example of the good and honest life that they led.
My Mom is very much our protector, our guardian, our root; but Dad made us feel strong and stable, for he is our rock, our huge beautiful Oak tree overhead.
So time marched on and the four boys eventually grew into men, and went their separate ways.
They have gone on to lead successful lives of their own,
As a plumber, a teacher, a doctor, and even a “chicken checker”, as my Brother Frank would say.
Nevertheless, the Sons would not have been able to do this if it were not for their strong love homegrown
That my Dad and my Mom all those years had readily shown.
Robert Collazo, written on 10/23/08.
