The home looks dismal -
Walkers and wheelchairs line the hall
And the aroma wafting from the dining room
Can hardly draw me there too soon.
I look about her little space -
A cot, a dresser, a chair an old T.V.
The only welcome sight is her smiling face
Saying she’s so very glad to see me.
We talk about the past -
These days, it’s what she remembers best
Standing on a stool washing dishes,
A trek across the ocean with hopeful wishes.
Motherhood came quick and hard -
With labor pains that stretched into the everyday,
From clearing the land, sweeping the yard
Kneading bread, while learning to pray.
I’m amazed at the strength and wisdom -
Of one for whom life became her classroom.
And yet, as she shares of the hardships and pain
At the end of it all, she’d do it again!
Finding it discomforting to see this end -
I have to ask myself - what will it be?
Will I focus on the fading beauty all around,
Or on that which I cannot see?
Aged ones, waiting at the threshold of heaven -
Stories of courage, loyalty and faith near forgotten,
But not by the One who’s been there all these years
And who will be there to wipe away all tears.
Anneliese © 2009
Walkers and wheelchairs line the hall
And the aroma wafting from the dining room
Can hardly draw me there too soon.
I look about her little space -
A cot, a dresser, a chair an old T.V.
The only welcome sight is her smiling face
Saying she’s so very glad to see me.
We talk about the past -
These days, it’s what she remembers best
Standing on a stool washing dishes,
A trek across the ocean with hopeful wishes.
Motherhood came quick and hard -
With labor pains that stretched into the everyday,
From clearing the land, sweeping the yard
Kneading bread, while learning to pray.
I’m amazed at the strength and wisdom -
Of one for whom life became her classroom.
And yet, as she shares of the hardships and pain
At the end of it all, she’d do it again!
Finding it discomforting to see this end -
I have to ask myself - what will it be?
Will I focus on the fading beauty all around,
Or on that which I cannot see?
Aged ones, waiting at the threshold of heaven -
Stories of courage, loyalty and faith near forgotten,
But not by the One who’s been there all these years
And who will be there to wipe away all tears.
Anneliese © 2009
20 comments:
That is beautiful Anneliese..thanks for sharing!
I LOVE this! What great thoughts! So well phrased! Thanks for sharing it!
Very touching poem you've written. Love how you've gone from the younger members of your family to the older in your recent posts. You are truly and lovingly capturing the "seasons" of your family.
my heart understands what you are sharing.......walking along side of you in a similar stage of life......sigh
So beautiful! very touching poem-thanks for sharing it!
Just lovely Anneliese. How special and treasured those visits are...lets not forget our dear ones alone at home or in care homes. They are waiting for their final home, while we wait all to often for the things of this earth. This brought me some moments I wish I could live over again beacuse they were sweet, and gave me a stronger resolve to share life with the seniors in my life. Kathy
Aunt Lisa, this is so touching - it brought tears to my eyes. I did go visit Oma there at Thanksgiving and it was so very hard to see her living in such a stark and dismal place. But you are right - although there is much sadness and pain when you walk the halls, there are stories of courage, hard work, and lives well-lived in the hearts of these aging people. Thank you for sharing this.
Love, Bonnie
And when they are gone, you wish you could walk those halls again!
Beautiful, Anneliese. It could have been my dear MIL some years back...as she waited for 'the end' in a place like that...always with a smile. I learned much from her!
That is such a beautiful poem Anneliese.
You share things so beautifully. . I read it slowly. ..savoured it and smiled at how wonderfully you captured the her season.
So well written. I often think about those things....thinking of the time my mom spent her young years in a residential home.
We need to learn to honor those years also, not dreading them.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Oh these places are so hard to visit and the people so dear. I was touched by your insightful writing.
Beautiful! Thank you.
Anneliese, you are a poetess! Your thoughts are beautifully painted into words.
It reminds me of a poem written by my friend's mother-in-law at the end of her life. The poem was not found until after her death. The last ten years of her life she never left her bed. The poem spoke of all the things her hands had done throughout the many years..... from changing diapers to kneading bread, from wiping away tears to making beds.... The last stanza of the long poem ending with... "and these last ten years my hands have been folded in prayer." The greatest work of all.
Well said!!What a good reminder of so many things....thanks for sharing them!
Thanks for this post, Lisa. Tante Maria looks so good, already to go out. Looks like she is waiting for that wonderful day where she will be reunited with her loved ones.
So beautiful it made my heart weep. xoxo
Oh how well I know the meaning of your beautifully crafted poem! You put into words exactly what I felt all the years of visiting my mother-in-law as she "waited on the threshold of heaven". It's such a comfort to know their final destination!
Just wanted to say that I love your new blog header! Beautiful.
Thank you, Mom. Oma would be honored. Thank you for honoring your mother-in-law in such a beautiful way. I love you, Oma. I love you, Mom.
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