Vicky Pointing
Fade Out
We’ve all come to see you
In this place that stinks of bleach and urine.
We are hushed and solemn,
My mother’s face shadowed by tears.
Your hair still isn’t grey,
It shines in the afternoon light,
Every strand held neatly in place with your beloved Brylcreem.
You always were so proud of your hair,
It was black as a gypsy’s, and still is.
But your face is full of hollows,
And you slouch in your chair like a child,
Your hands crossed in front of you,
Your face twitching
As your memory stumbles upon broken images.
Sometimes you mutter
In accompaniment to these strange dreams,
The words disturbing your peace,
And my grandmother’s heart.
Your fingers trace the lines of all your paintings,
Brushing the polished table top so carefully,
Your forehead furrowed in concentration.
We try to make you speak.
But you respond only to the sweets
That we place on your limp tongue.
Your eyes are empty as you eat,
And we notice how frail you are,
Your body shrinking
As you forget how to walk,
How to feed yourself,
How to sleep.
And we have to watch you wasting away,
Knowing that there is nothing we can ever do
To bring you back.
Page(s) 91
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