little lady
sitting on a park bench
small straw purse
clutched against her side
staring through weary eyes
at the life
around

home is a small room
dusty with memories
noisy with traffic going somewhere

on the second-hand bureau
are photographs
sister Ellen at graduation
a young bride and groom
Mickey when he was ten

everyone is dead now
everyone except the bride

over the sink hangs
a calendar
with spaces to fill in
events of importance
and every space
is empty.

~ Melodie Corrigall

Originally published in: West Coast Review