OLD MOTHERS
Never had the opportunity--
missed the privilege
of doting upon my old mother.
Mother died
of a heart attack
at fifty-one.
Watch with envy--
sweet old mothers
with rosy rouged cheeks
and charming smiles
carefully navigating
footed canes
or wheeled walkers.
Dutiful daughters
accompany them
pleasantly
in doctor’s waiting rooms,
taking their tweed coats,
making small talk
about the grandchildren
and what Aunt So And So
will be serving
the church ladies for lunch.
Blessed daughters,
who left beds unmade,
dishes in the sink,
who listen attentively
to doctor’s instructions,
see that Medicare
and supplementary insurances
are processed properly,
who assist them
with their coats
and to their cars,
stopping at pharmacies
on the way home.
Maude Carolan
(This poem received honorable mention in the national Allen Ginsberg Poetry Contest, several years ago.)
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