Grandma Helen Rides Along

She hears you
Or you think
She looks at you and smiles
When the joke's a zinger

Then she laughs
And says something in return
That belies her age

That sometimes curtain
Of her recent hazy
Sight and mind

Family Today

My youngest becoming a teen
Demanding attention good and bad
Still young enough to snuggle in, yet bite

My teen becoming a woman
Old enough to see the end of home
And try again to snuggle in and hug

My woman fighting for her health
Chronic issues causing fear and grief
Snuggles in in we and I feel what we are

My father sees his end
My mother seems content
Her parents holding tight