Allan

The Old Lady

Sunday, 4. October 2009, 17:36:18

She had a full life
yes, she had

She was loved as a child
lived with caring parents
surrounded by noisy siblings
learned about the world
as she reached out for it

She went to school
and was met with demands
"do your things
learn to read
do the math"
you know the drill

She played through her childhood
with playmates in the street
later standing on the corner
understanding life

She had boyfriends, oh yes
quite a lot
for the fun of it
until he came along
and another he
and another
she caressed all of them
with her loving hands

She too became a mother
worrying about
sickness, money, drunk husband
but she managed
to keep things together
with a firm hand

She cried from joy
when her daughter got married
"My life is fulfilled"
she thought

She got older
grandchildren on her knee
passing on stories
children should know
about life
holding their hands

She got old
winter came
all her life she´s been
living surrounded by people
but these last hours

She´ll have to endure
alone
and empty handed
just as she came

Public Criminal AnnouncementFor the Boy Hidden in the Man

Comments

thaodp # 4. October 2009, 17:35

beautiful poem and photo

AnitaMargita # 4. October 2009, 17:43

Very nice photo and poem!

Especially at this part I got emotional:

"She got old
winter came
all her life she´s been
living surrounded by people
but this last mile

She´ll have to walk alone
empty handed"

ricewood # 4. October 2009, 17:54

Thank you. Glad you like it. Glad to strike an emotional chord.

derWandersmann # 4. October 2009, 18:32

I never get emotional.

Stiff upper lip, and all that.

Snif! Sob!

Thank you, Allan.

Anonymous # 4. October 2009, 18:52

Anita Thomhave Simonsen writes:

this was so beautiful to read and actually made me cry...but it´s alright...

gdare # 4. October 2009, 19:06

Beautiful.. just beautiful

Aqualion # 4. October 2009, 20:13

I like the simplicity in your choice of words. No need to get all intellectual and philosophical when dealing with life and death. Best to keep it simple.

We like that.

PainterWoman # 4. October 2009, 21:27

Oh I got goosebumps reading this. Beautiful. Made me think of my mom.

Stardancer # 4. October 2009, 23:32

I love that photo. Lots of love in that hand.

Beautiful post, Allan.

ellinidata # 4. October 2009, 23:45

I loved it Allan,
it is like a tribute to all departed moms, on the 9/30 it was my mom's D/anniversary... I know you lost yours recently.. I thank you for this

edwardpiercy # 5. October 2009, 03:07

I think it a shame that someone old would have to die alone.

Great photo.

norfrid # 5. October 2009, 07:51

Old hands are beautiful. I was so fascinated by the hands of a 92 years old man that I was working together with the other day. His hands were so rough after a long hard working life that he could hardly get his gloves on when we should harvest potatoes.
Sad, true and beautiful poem.

ricewood # 5. October 2009, 09:55

I always imagined that the last step in life, we'll have to take alone - no matter how many relatives are sitting around us. It's like jumping from a cliff - one moment in mid air - we are only ourselves.

But that's just what I think. And who am I to know anyway?

The photo is actually my late mother's hand - which is beside the point, really. I have tried to generalize this.

Thank you all for the comments. I do appreciate that.

Stardancer # 6. October 2009, 03:45

Originally posted by ricewood:

I always imagined that the last step in life, we'll have to take alone - no matter how many relatives are sitting around us. It's like jumping from a cliff - one moment in mid air - we are only ourselves.

Maybe. But I like to think that my family is there, waiting, smiling, arms outstretched to welcome me--my grandfathers, who both died before I was born; and my grandmothers and my father, with whom I had too little time.

"Only ourselves."

Are we ever really that? Just that?

ricewood # 6. October 2009, 07:20

And we don't know exactly how, do we? I don't.

I always imagined dying like jumping over a canyon - a solid world on one side and a solid different world on the other. But the jump itself - alone.

cakkleberrylane # 6. October 2009, 14:08

"She´ll have to endure
alone
and empty handed
just as she came"

But with many people on the other side eager to love her.

I think Star said it well,

ricewood # 6. October 2009, 14:45

I also think Star said it well....

studio41 # 7. October 2009, 09:40

such a special picture, Allan... thanks for coining such thoughtful words to your mother's experience and sharing with us Petra's

life and passing. I just wrote a "rock" poem, ironically, Allan. just yesterday!

I know Christ is with His own and "angels on your pillow" as you say... leading us to the other side. the pain threshold is something many face as they pass on and this is very problematic and disconcerting-- prayer is most likely a useful help in this...

nice to see Lois up there. and so appreciated Star's comments, too...

BabyJay99 # 8. October 2009, 11:48

this.

ricewood # 8. October 2009, 15:56

Jill - this is not a description of my mother's life. It's fiction - inspired by my mother's life and death. It is her hand on the photo, though. Thank you.

Thanks, Léazz.