Sunday 26 April 2009

Sitting in a Chair

An old lady sits in a chair. She sits in the chair until she is put to bed.
She stays in that bed until she is put in the chair.

Orange-red lipstick. Flame red hair. Lurex tights. Quick fire humour. Twinkly eyes.

An old lady sits in a chair. She eats an orange peeled and segmented by her carer.
She sips whiskey in her tea. She sits. She stares.
She sits in the chair until she is put to bed. She stays in bed until she is put in the chair.

Never still. Darting to and fro. Pottering. Doing. Cleaning. Fussing.

An old lady sits in a chair. Her life is sleeping, sitting, eating peeled oranges and drinking whiskey in her tea.

Vibrant. Colourful. Funny fusspot. Kind. Generous. Gone.

An old lady sits in a chair. It looks like her, but she's not there.

Simone 26 April 2009





17 comments:

  1. What a lovely poem. Is she someone you know?

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  2. I liked this, Simone - especially the contrast between what the lady was - her aliveness and vitality and what she has become. In her mind she is still wearing lurex and lipstick even though her life has become so limited - Thank you for sharing:)

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  3. this is so sad Simone... we have a family history of alzheimers...it makes me think of my grandma.. even though her memory went she still had her beautiful twinkly eyes.
    thank you for your comment about dandelions x

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  4. Hi Simone!

    Did you write this yourself? Its amazing...I love how thought provoking it is, it pulled my emotions in different directions as I read it - very powerful and moving.

    Love to you
    J x

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  5. How beautiful. I enjoyed the poem, thank you for posting it.

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  6. Simone, your garden pictures below are so beautiful.
    This poem is so poignant, I have to wonder whether this lady is in your life. My dad had dementia, but still knew us until he died. Alzheimers is such a cruel disease.
    Thank you for commenting on my blog!
    Take care...

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  7. OOO! You were quick with your comment, I'd only just posted it!

    Lovely poem, it gave me goose bumps.

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  8. Lovely Simone
    but so sad
    x
    Thank you for your lovely comment today x
    Sumea

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  9. Wow simone - I'm blown away! Love this poem so much I can't tell you.

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  10. That's such a sad poem, but so well written. Sometimes we all need a good reminder that we aren't just seeing an "old person", they are just a person like anyone else.

    Mel xxx

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  11. Hi Simone, this so makes me think of my late mother in law, it is spot on, I could see her sat in her chair as I read it.
    Very thought provoking...
    Jan

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  12. I do believe your poem will strike a chord with most. My MIL has progressive Parkinson's disease. I fear she will become like this. Very thought provoking words. x

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  13. I'm sitting here trying to think of something profound to say in response to your beautiful, but sad, poem. What is going through my mind is the images of the lady as she was, and they are images that keep repeating. Every now and then, there's a blip, and that's the image of her sitting in her chair, but it's a blip. My main thoughts are of how glorious she was, but I'm still trying not to be sad.
    That is my response to your poem, and I think I will be carrying this with me all day, and for how long beyond, I don't know.
    Love Vanessa xxx (do you mind if i knit)

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  14. I'll be carrying this poem with me all day, and longer.
    It's very beautiful. Beautifully written, and beautiful in sentiment. I'll be thinking about what she was.
    Love vanessa xxx (do you mind if i knit)

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  15. A most profound and thought provoking poem Simone.. You really have a way with words.. it is beautifully written.

    Thank you for your lovely comment..

    Michele xx

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