She sat there
Mindless and alone, a full tray of food before her
Her eyes were closed
In sleep or enternal slumber, one never knew
Her hands lay in her lap, her yellow fingers clasped together
Her head was slumped to the side
Resting on her pink, plaid nightgown
Thought it was midday
The sun shown through the doorway behind her
Her bedroom
Spilling into the room from the big window
With no view
But by now, what view had she not seen?
It didn't really matter anymore
A tentative shake, to see if she even breathed
She smelled of sour food and of vanilla
Her head jerked up with a high pitched "oh!"
And a rumbling "what?"
Before her catarached eyes adjusted enough to see
And pretend to recognize
Your face
"Oh, it's you! I can't remember your name, I'm sorry."
Tears sprung to her already red-rimmed eyes
"But it is so good to see you!"
And you knew she would trade her soul just for a sentance or two
Frizzy white curles, untamed and ragged
Letting herself be coaxed into a bite or two of food
Humans weren't built to last
And she had lasted far too long
For her happiness
Telling the nurses stories of the people who came to see her
She called them her realatives -
Her sons and daughters, her grandchildren
But they weren't
And she could never seem to remember their names
Until they left the building
Why didn't they come back?
Maybe her wish was finally granted...
And she finally fell asleep
Clasping her, wrikled, worked
Yellow fingers