Poetic Beginnings

It seems appropriate that the first post to my new GDRSD portfolio would be a poem. This one I dedicate to my grandparents. To read the FlipSnack version with images, scroll to the bottom for an embedded copy.

“Tenderness”

(for my grandparents, the greatest love story I know)

“Tenderness” by Jennifer Leung
she was receding
the ocean’s depth of her memory
evaporating like steam

Alzheimers
hid her crossword puzzles
lost her crochet hooks
stripped her photo albums
ravaged her appetite

when she left a roast smoking in the oven
he cut off the gas for good
took her to the local buffet

she clung to his arm
their independence
as unsteady as his shuffling gait

he led her gently to a booth
then made his way to the
salad bar

breathing hard from the effort
legs numb from neuropathy
he leaned against the soup stand
dipped a ladle into the brine
fished for carrots until he had filled a plate
with soft orange slices
tender enough for her to eat
with ill-fitting false teeth

sighing, he sat and reached across the table
her frightened, clouded eyes seemed to clear
and for a moment
this pair, alone in the restaurant,
held the universe
in their hands