Jigsaw Puzzle Poem by Donal Mahoney

Jigsaw Puzzle



When my neighbor told me
over the fence
a month ago
the doctor said
she had two years to live,
I took her at her word.

Then two weeks later
her daughter calls
and says the funeral
is Saturday.
What to make of this?

I look out the window
over to her yard
as I have for 30 years and see
the garage door's down.
Not something I'd expect
on a summer day like this.

She should be on her mower,
a buckaroo riding,
or on her knees weeding
but I see nothing over there
except grass growing.

This winter, tell me
who will I sit across from
doing jigsaw puzzles
while sipping Earl Grey tea
and pining aloud for spring.

She told me once
life's a jigsaw puzzle
that doesn't end until
the last piece is in place.
This time she found
the last piece before
the others were in place.

Saturday, January 9, 2016
Topic(s) of this poem: death,neighbors,old age
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