From my visit to see my sister Ellen

A POEM: AT MY SISTER'S

A serious little girl stands
beside the woman's bed
silently watching

The woman whispers "My legs hurt"
One hand curls around the bed rail
The other makes a futile gesture to us.

Her daughter bends low to listen.
"Do you want some water?"
She shakes her head.

She removes the bedclothes and we see
Legs that are like spindles
With mottled overhanging skin

The face of the woman twists in pain as her legs are carefully shifted
The daughter replaces the sheet and smooths the blanket
"How is this, Mama?" "Better, for now"

The woman closes her eyes
The little girls looks at her solemnly
Then she walks away