(A commentary in verse on a silver haired mother-in-law)
He left me sudden, intestate
a cruel stroke
of macabre fate
He went across the other side
and made me oh : such a bitter bride
50 years within marriage law
slice after slice of life in the raw
sometimes riches sometimes squalor
from cutprice coffee to the best of the Bolla
At the solitaire board
is the widows place
With 36 pegs but not in place
Longing for games with participation
But left staring, eyes down
in lonely frustration
The laughs of the people
that used to elate
now seen through tired eyes
near irritate
The distance of sound
from failing hearing
makes the whispers suspicious
and furtive and learing
What is their motive
for offering this rose
is its fragrance a ruse
to poison my nose
Who can I meet
Where can I stay
Who are my friends
for another long day
I am fearful to go
because I may hover
on the verge of the abyss
beyond which is my lover
I’ve never believed
but if I am wrong
give me the grace
to make me strong
When my time comes
to go back in his arms
let me float gently
restore my young charms
