Sunday, February 7, 2016

NOW WHAT?




It's hard to describe these past weeks
with no obligatory rides 
to the nursing home in the country 
past all those old houses, 
cotton and chile farms, horses, the cutest donkey.  
No need to fix a thermos of coffee,
or buy a donut.
No silly guessing game to play 
as the train goes by:
how long would I be stopped
in its tracks?

No longer must I listen 
to her ramblings as she deciphered
faint memories real
while convinced of wild fantasies.
No longer need I witness
blatant mix of  living while dying.

Now my afternoons are free.
Now there's nothing 
for me to do.
I'm stopped in my tracks.

(For Poets United.)





25 comments:

  1. Oh Myrna this brings great tears to my eyes....as I have ridden that path to visit a loved one who is 'living while dying', and once gone my world is suddenly more empty and I am 'stopped in my tracks'. And while there is grief, there is relief and release....but it is still hard to reckon with.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so painful to read Myrna.. When we live with those routines of sadness, the numbness when it's over is truly strong in that last stanza.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is very poignant, Myrna. There are some things to be happy about in this poem, but much sadness at its root. My condolences to you on the loss of someone who must have been close to you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So very familiar. And the loss is so beautifully expressed. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is deeply poignant and true. I am so sorry for your loss, its difficult to deal in these times. Big hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is heart wrenching :'(
    Very well written, Myrna.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Be at peace Myrna. I know what it feels like to lose a loved one. All those used-to-do's hanging in the air while we mourn. May you find comfort and strength in this difficult time. loves.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, very poignant. You spent so many years seeing The Ladies through, the afternoons must feel so empty. I hope as the weather warms, that Leroy and Daisy and you enjoy some nice rambles together. Wish we lived closer. You could visit me! Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  9. such pain and frustration in these words...strength and gratefulness from your side, big hugs and healing to you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I could feel the emptiness you so vividly described. Sigh. Wishes for a speedy transition to happiness again

    Thanks for dropping in at my Sunday Lime today
    Much love...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautifully written. Grief is never easy, never simple. And each of us must deal with it in our own manner. Thank you for helping me through mine,

    Elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  12. The sadness of the visits now made worse by their ending. What an emotive yet loving tribute to a loved one.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is wonderfully written and touches deeply.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow.. that's a sad poem about loss...but you've written it so well. The last line was stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  15. That was a sad poem about great loss..but you've written it so well. The last line was stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That was a sad poem about great loss..but you've written it so well. The last line was stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, this is so emotionally evocative. The 'No longer need I witness blatant mix of living while dying' and 'I'm stopped in my tracks'---whoa! It packs an emotional punch that the reader feels in the gut, for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is so good.

    I'm very sorry for your loss.

    ReplyDelete
  19. so gracefully you've captivated this void touching your life...the sadness is palpable...

    ReplyDelete
  20. What an effortless poem..i felt the loss and what as well as who was missing - sometimes freedom comes at a price..although if it means the end of suffering i hope there will be less of an ache in the afternoons

    ReplyDelete
  21. Having to go through seeing someone afflicted and not making progress is most frustrating. But seeing them might bring happiness on their part!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  22. Myrna,

    Sad when a routine ends, with a passing in time. We've both written poems with a similiar theme this week...How the mundane routine, suddenly ends...
    Best wishes,
    Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  23. I can relate all too well! Beautifully told in its understatement.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Marvelous ...well captured of a routine (a compassionate one) that has ceased to continue.
    ZQ

    ReplyDelete