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To have a bucket of water in for the night
brought restful sleep
I heard the old woman say.
Sitting across the table
94 years not showing
on her gentle face.
Telling stories of Tommy ,Neddie and the Forge
her face was bright.

Smoothing her skirt
embarrassed with all her talk
she sighed
Ah whatever I learnt has run wild on me now.

I bought Neddie a whistle
in the bargain bin after Christmas
And all he said was
Why the hell did you get that thing.
I just got it and that's all there is too it.

Soon he prefered it to the pipes.

Oh the nights are long and lonely
And Im the last of them now
And Im ready to go.
Sometimes I wonder
is there no excape.

In my childhood trees were green
And summers were summers
The half door closed against the hens
was never closed.
Ma did the outside jobs
and I minded the house.
There was always talk and sport
in the Forge.
We were snug.
You cant beat the dropping penny
I heard a poet say onetime.

I minded Tommy for 5 years
Alzheimer you know
Is a terrible thing.
But I got in on his ways
Id know when he'd need a rest
or a ramble out.
They said I needed a rest
and he needed respite.

Things were never the same after that
He lasted 5 weeks.
But he died at home.
I was glad of that she said
turning towards the window
wondering out loud
if the mist was turning to rain.

Hi lonndubh ~

Your poem captures the many subtleties and the larger issues surrounding how end of life affects us emotionally.
The pace of your progression is at that pace that allows the reader to take it in slowly or stop to ponder the meaning of the individual lines and images.
A kind of calmness, a little bit sad, a little bittersweet, and a little bit accepting is how I felt.
It comes through as a short story... unfolding as life itself does.
A poignant ending and, somehow, I felt that I was accepting his loss, too.

Thanks for your moving poem.


~ Lizzy

Hello Lizzy
Thanks for your lovely words about this poem.
Its a great joy to meet someone who makes one want to write it down ,and May does this every time .
I thank her also .
She sits at her kitchen table now doing crosswords, trying to keep her brain sharp because she knows first hand what can happen.

What a wonderful poem.
Thank you so much. I adore this.
Richard

This is very touching L.
I feel like a ghost who was there as May was speaking. I loved the story of the couple and the whistle - how he grumped and then used it more then his pipes ... it seems very loving.

I also love this:

Ah whatever I learnt has run wild on me now.

Is that a common Brit phrase for this state of affairs? It's so fitting and evocative of how it must feel.