Poem - Sarah and John

Today I decided to share one of my poems with you.

Back in about 1981 I woke up at 2:00am one morning and I was thinking: "The temperature outside was 17 below."

I wondered why I was thinking that. Then I thought:  "The temperature outside was 17 below. Old Sarah sat in her big chair and rocked it to and fro."

Suddenly I realized it was a poem, so I got up, went into the living room and sat on the couch. From 2:00am until 3:00am I sat there in the dark and wrote a poem. When I finished creating the poem I knew I needed to write it down but I was so tired I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. I decided to go to bed, and, if the poem was actually any good, I would remember it in the morning.

When I woke up the next morning I remembered every word. I wrote it down then and it has always been one of my favorites.

If you enjoy it, I would really appreciate it if you would send my blog address to your friends. Also, comments would be nice.

Thank you

Janice

Sarah And John

The temperature outside was seventeen below.

Old Sarah sat in her big chair and rocked it to and fro.

 

She wrestled to her feet, went through the parlor door,

And struggled up the monstrous stairway to the second floor.

 

She stopped to catch her breath, that frail shivering form.

The cold just went right through her, she was never really warm.

 

She shuffled down the hall, flipped on the bedroom light,

Looked at the picture on the wall, and blew a kiss,”Goodnight”.

 

“Dear John, oh how I miss you. I wish that I was there.”

She changed into her gown and pulled the hair pins from her hair.

 

“Perhaps it will be tonight”, she thought, and tried her best to die.

But the only thing that she could do was close her eyes and cry.

 

She couldn’t sleep well anymore, she tossed and turned all night.

And when the sun began to rise, she saw the day’s first light.

 

She’d gotten so forgetful, she’d leave the burners on.

And, when she reached for her glasses, she’d wonder where they’d gone.

 

She couldn’t cook, so she’d just have toast and jelly and milk.

She looked at her flannel nightgown, and remembered when she’d worn silk.

 

She watched all day for visitors, but none would ever call,

So, she sat in her old rocking chair, and watched the snowflakes fall.

 

Joe went to the office, while Donna cleaned and baked.

“No time for Mom today”, she thought, while Mom just rocked and ached.

 

And then one night it happened, while Sarah lay in bed.

God just smiled and kissed her. “Come home, my child”, He said.

 

And when, at last, they found her, it came as quite a shock.

“How could she die, and us not know? She just lived down the block?”

 

“She was too young to die”, they said. “She was only eighty four.

We thought for sure that she would live, at least for ten years more.”

 

So, they donned sad faces, and gravely said, “We can’t believe she’s gone.”

And, while they cried their selfish tears, she walked and laughed with John.

 

Janice Austin Bates