We went to visit
My great
great-grandmother
Before I left
As we strode into the room
She smiled,
Because our presence
Made her happy
And relieved some of her
Loneliness
Whenever I watched her talking
I thought about
The roses called “American Beauties” and
Lester Burnham enjoying the way
His grandmother’s hands
Looked like paper
And I watched her
Ninety-
six-year-old hands
make patterns
on her lap
Her son-in-law
Who is more
Handicapped than
Her called us
Two times while
We were there
She had to repeat
Herself since he couldn’t
Hear her, and she
Hung up
On him because
She said she
Had nothing
More to say
But now, she said she
Wished that He would come
And take her tonight
Because she is bored and
Lonely and only
Sits
Waiting for Susie
Or anyone to
Happen by and
Stop in to keep
Her company.
