No, it's not another Vilanelle

[Shea]

I decided to write in free verse this time.

Maudi

She sat on the loveseat as we ate our lunch
her little feet dangled over the end of the cushion
her left hand figeted pleasantly with some loose yarn
on an afghan that someone crocheted
her right held a small homemade doll

She couldn't eat with us
having lost the ability to swallow
her food was given to her later
through a tube that connected to her stomach

She enjoyed to sit with us though
the tables of the game room
for the moment held our packaged lunches

Later, I watched one of the nurses amuse her
making her doll walk and laugh
Maudi's eyes twinkled with glee and wonder
and we all smiled at the merriment.

But now it was time to go home,
and her eyes expressed sorrow at leaving
they brightened however, at the sight of her son
who took her wrinkled hand
and lead her frail, elderly body to the car.


When I was doing my clinical rotation in nursing school, I spent a couple of days at a senior citizen's day care center. Maudi was the most memerable one. She reminded me of a quiet little 5 year old. I love when some of the elderly sort of revert back to childhood. ;)

[Koa]

Yes it seemed to be about a child, until the end... I guess it's a wanted effect (eh eh the usual trick of the expert poet ;) :D).
I like it, it's nice and the description is lively and vivid as in your other works. I like the way you focus on things, details etc.
I think the rhythm tends very much to prose, which is ok but for a short second made me miss your villanelles ;) Probably the villanelle gives an appropriate rhythm to your descriptions of life. :)

[ASA]

I have to say that I find your view of the elderly rather depressing and somewhat patronising. Surely it is distasteful to view an adult person with more experience than you like a child. Also, given that children are helpless, I find it rather worrying that you "love it" when the elderly remind you of them. Is this a weakness in yourelf?

[Shea]

Hi all! I'm back, though very busy.

ASA, I didn't mean to be patronizing, Maudi was a very pleasant person to be around. I love children and she very much reminded me of one. My grannie will be 80 this November and she always reminded me of a child. She still retains all her mental and physical capabilities (though she is a little hard of hearing) and she is always ready to laugh and play. Last Christmas, she tap danced to "Holly Jolly Christmas", I was very proud of her considering her age.

As a sort of contrast, there was another lady that I took care of who was 99. She was not very spry, but she was sharp as a tack! Many historians would come and ask her questions about the history of our town because she lived there from the time she was a small child. She was extremely pleasant and I enjoyed caring for her very much.

What I love about much of the elderly is the ways in which they socialize. It makes me wonder how life was like for them when they were my age. A lot of times I just wish I could go back in time and switch places.