Immigrants' Faint Footnote

three of my 4 grandparents were immigrants.

(the 4th, was son of fathers to the American Revolution)

one of the 3 came as a baby.

(When she contracted fever aboard ship, her immigrant mother stopped others from throwing her into the sea.)

one came as 1 of 3 girls to be bride to 1 of 3 brothers 

(not knowing which with which).

that one-of-three brothers had come earlier to an Illinois steel mill.

(The mill is gone, but a safety manual for this unsafe workplace survives to be read in his Hungarian, as well as in Slovenian, Romanian and tongues of other workmates.)

two of 2 of my sons-in-law were born far from North America.

two of 5 of my grandchildren were born far from North America. 

three grandchildren,

two sons-in-law,

both of my children, 

two of my immigrant grandparents, and their

one son (my father) mastered tongues other than English in childhood.

            More important: 

My story-by-numbers is  faint footnote to your own. 

Bob Komives :: Fort Collins © 2019 :: Immigrants' Faint Footnote :: 1902