Emma Jay
The Visited
She sits with age on a large settee,
skirts spread, gloves on.
Gran, we greet her, smiling.
The flowers are burning
she assures us, and we see sunflowers
turning heavy heads sunwise.
And Dad wears clean boots in bed now
she says approvingly, and I see him
ready for gardening in his coffin,
descending, descending,
and Gran selecting from his wreaths
to make bouquets for her Home friends.
We thought you’d like a walk
we offer, and she nods,
and we heave her, hold her up.
I had my baby girl yesterday.
Good as gold. You can’t hear her, can you?
she chatters. You see? A happy child.
Outside the park is studded with acorns
and spiky conkers gleaming.
She gathers them, fills her handbag.
Later we drill and she threads them;
we recall pickling them, baking them hard,
and strangely we are all together.
Smiling, we leave her, warmed by the sunset,
unwrapping our chocolates, tastefully
arranging them among her thimbles.
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