Exclusion

Long ago we became friends
through our family connections.

She held strongly to her areas of
interest, of expertise in her job
yet accepted my differences
from my points of view.

A few years ago her heart
increasingly failed her. Medication
helped little, even did harm.
After enjoying a long active life
she is increasingly frustrated
when she has to rest so much.

Now she wants us all to do things
her way. Yet her knowledge gained
over many years no longer overlaps
similar areas of today’s knowledge.
With low energy impeding her
learning she is losing grip of her
recent knowledge as it evolves past
her, past what she once retained.

Middle aged family members stopped
telling her what they do for their
children’s health, exercise, learning,
to avoid her distress at their choices.
She know this, is still distressed.

now I am doing the same, withholding
areas of discussion, to avoid distress.

I used to enjoy our discussions.

I miss them greatly.

Healthy Living

On healthy food
healthy interest
sound learning in
school and university
she raised her children.
In their adulthood
she cycled, swam,
nurtured the environment,
labouring in her garden
growing many vegetables
and abundant fruit.
She fed them to her
grandchildren. She
painted, made play dough
models with them, took
them walking with her dog
around the leafy park.

Retiring from her long time
profession she reached
out to a fuller life in
home, family, environment.

Now her energy drained
as her heart imploded
weakness by weakness as
successive genes failed.

Full of medications now
her mind and body rest
often on her bed.