Madison Street: Nanny Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes we kids believed the craziest things! 

Nanny was by far the sweetest neighbor on Madison Street.

 

Nanny Brown

 

The Grayces’ next-door neighbor, Hannah Brown,

whom everyone calls “Nanny Brown,” lives with

her aged, ailing father. Never wed,

old Nanny trudges every day to town

to dish out lunch at Coughlin High School. Myth

has it she ties “Daddy” to his bed

so he won’t wander off while she’s away.

This may be true. Last year, on Christmas Day,

we tracked his errant footprints in the snow

from Nanny’s sidewalk, past the corner bar,

then up the hill to Sacred Heart. Although

we found him, for he hadn’t gotten far,

they had to amputate the baby toe

it’s rumored Nanny’s pickled in a jar.