Memory of Peace

Do you know where I found peace?

In the nursing home

Just my mom and me alone

No sisters or brothers

Caring for my great-grandmother

Who didn’t know where my mother

Had gone when she walked down the hall

To grab nail polish and a brush

There was absolutely no rush

Great Grammy in her shawl

In front of the sunny glass

In a cushioned seat

Where caretakers pass

Where the dust danced

And potted plants

Rooted and bloomed

Ever in the mood

To make beauty seen

I watched my mother take care

To paint exactly on each nail

Around soft wrinkled skin

Each breath that I took in

Easy and unhurried

I forgot I was ever worried

I wouldn’t make it home in time

Mom said “Thanks for coming with

I know it’s sometimes hard for kids

To sit still and wait for a long while”

I told her not to fret

Because how could I be upset

At doing the work most worthwhile in life

And when my mother grows old

She’ll have my hand to hold

Still smooth and strong

I’ll paint my mother’s nails

My girls will tell her where I’ve gone

Twirl their fingers around pigtails

Mother’s wrinkles map out trails

I’ll brush her hair and hold her frail

Sweet soft frame in my embrace

Because my mother’s love

Has brought down blessings from above

Taught me patience peace and grace.