Once upon a time
You were like a butterfly
Here and there and everywhere
Now you are stuck in a wheelchair
Once you sighed day in day out
“Why must I live so long?”
Now you’re blissfully content
You don’t remember
What you’ve ever said
You live in a foreign land
Like most in the dining room today
The piano plays soft melodies
Of bygone years, I feel my eyes
Well up with tears
Tears keep rolling
Down my cheeks
As I watch you sitting
Motionless, expressionless
I turn away my face:
A young nurse’s belly carries
A new life, a new beginning
Amidst the very ending
My tears keep rolling
Down to my trembling lips
The nurse keeps smiling
Her words are sweet
“Come on love, up you go
One two three, well done
Hang on to your walker, dear”
The old soul, half her size
Slowly shuffles on
I shed one more tear
My wet eyes I wipe…
The piano played
Their songs and mine
Once upon a time
© 2015 Irina Dimitric
- The first draft of this poem was written immediately on coming home after visiting my 100-year old mother in her nursing home. She passed away in 2012, one week short of being 101. This poem has been published on http://www.narratorINTERNATIONAL.com
under the name Irina Dimitric. You can support me there if you wish.
The direct link is http://www.narratorinternational.com/twilight-songs-irina-dimitric/
Have a great week! ❤ Irina
Irina's Poetry Corner 
Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
Thank you very much. 🙂
It’s beautiful Irina. Lovely to remember two special people.
Thanks, Benita. Gently, as my mother would, Ann Marcaida guided me to polish this poem.
Originally, the poem was divided into stanzas. I had to go into edit to correct a misspelled word, tried to do it on my smart phone, pressed something inadvertently and lost the spaces between stanzas. I quite like it as it is now with lines rolling to the end. 🙂
It is beautiful, Irina!
Thank you very much, Vonita. 🙂
Tears are rolling down my cheecks while reading your verses,dear friend Irina!I know the bitter feeling,I lost my mum in 2006,but she’s still alive in my thoughts,in my dreams.Of course,she has taken part of my life with her.Nothing is the same since when I realised how ephemeral our lives are.Beautiful your sunset scenery and the title of your poem … But,when dawn takes over all is painted with bright colours again.Life is New Every Day.Isn’t it ?Take care ~ Happy Monday 🙂 xxx
Dear Doda, having lost your mother yourself, you understand perfectly my emotions on the day this poem was born. I remember feeling very confused about our brief passage on earth in our physical body. But life goes on, we must move on too. You’re right, Life is new every day. Thanks so much for your kind words. Have a great week! Hugs xxx 🙂
How nicely you put it as a gifted poet!Truly,brief our passage on earth in our physical body.But our imprints and souls will exist for ever;it’s energy in the infinite universe …
Have a wonderful day dear friend Irina!Sending hugs & kisses to you from this end 🙂 ♥
I spotted your poem,I left my humble comment … xxx
Thank you so much my dear friend. I saw your beautiful comment there and responeded. I do appreciate your support. Hugs and Kisses xxxxx 🙂 (there’s no heart icon on my smart phone!)
Responded… I hate typos!
You are very welcome Irina Dear!I have to thank you too for being beyond appreciative 🙂
( I hate typos too,there should be a way to edit our comments as it is on most platforms 😦
BTW, regarding that hand, this is what I wrote on the site:
Dear Doda, don’t worry about the hand UP or DOWN, your message is what counts and, anyway, I wouldn’t know how to fix it. Well, I just pressed on the hand to like your comment and it went DOWN! So I pressed on it again to cancel it. BUT I LIKE your comment! So you LIKE my comment and I LIKE yours, we should sleep well tonight. 🙂
Bless you. xxx
Thank you so much, Raphaela. Blessings to you. Xxxx 🙂
A very beautiful and poignant poem, Irina, and a wonderful tribute to your mother. You painted the scene inside the nursing home so well. So many memories, and the sadness at witnessing a once strong and vibrant woman become so frail and dependent on others. That your mother lived to be 100 was a wonderful achievement, though. And what a beautiful photo of a sunset. Such lovely colours. 🙂
Thank you so much, dear Millie. Your beautiful words mean a lot to me.
It was a lovely post, Irina, and I loved reading it.
Very moving Irina, old age can be so cruel. Beautiful photograph 🙂
Thank you so much for empathising, Jaqueline.
A beautiful poem… the last verses are very compelling… thanks so much for sharing.
Sending love and all my best wishes, dearest Irina. Aquileana ✨☺️💞✨
Thank you, dear Aquileana. I was quite busy away from cyberspace. Have a wonderful week! 🙂 🙂 xxx I can’t do hearts on my phone. ***
I got the hearts anyway ❤ sending love and wishing you a happy spring week. Aquileana 🌻
So touching, Ms Irina! I love the use of contrast here as reinforced by the circular shaping. Wow, amazing!
Thank you so much for your lovely and thoughtful comment. 🙂
Bonjour
Un rêve , quoi de plus beau
Le réaliser serait encore plus beau
Afin que ce rêve devienne réalité
faut-il le vouloir, y croire, le souhaiter
Y penser sans cesse
Cela pour notre plus grand plaisir
Je sais que quelque part tu es là
Prés ou loin , qu’importe la distance
Ton amitié est parmi les plus grandes
Du bonheurs dans ma vie, un réconfort dans les moments
de doute et de chagrin
Toute mon amitié
Belle fin de semaine et la semaine à venir ,bon week-end
Bernard
Merci, Bernard, pour ce beau poeme. Tres heureuse de faire votre connaissance. Bonne semaine a vous 🙂 Irina
Bonjour IRINA merci pour le petit mot
Il existe dans chaque coeur un petit tiroir secret
Chacun y cache ses petits bonheurs
Dans le mien brille cette étincelle
Qui est ton amitié
Au delà de cette porte de mon cœur
S’ouvre un monde de tendresse rempli de bonheur
Tes mots lors de tes passages sont plein de chaleur ,de gentillesse
Par la pensée
Chaque fois tes écrits sont un rayon de soleil
Je te souhaite une excellente fin de journée
Suivie d’une douce nuit étoilée
Merci pour les messages
Bise amicale
Bernard
Bon week-End de TOUSSAINT
Merci, merci, Bernard. 🙂 Malheureusement j’arrive en retard pour te souhaiter un bon weekend de Toussaint.
Oh, que c’est beau, cher Bernard! J’adore ta fleur de l’amitie. Je te souhaite un tres bon weekend. Amitie et tendresse de ma part. ❤ 🙂