AZ Sr. Poet Laureate shares winning entry

(Gazette Blog Editor's note: We recently announced that Payson resident Carrie Backe had just won her fifth Arizona Senior Poet Laureate Award.  On Friday night, The Consort and your humble editor ran into Carrie in a local restaurant, whereupon I asked her to share with Gazette readers the poem that earned her the honor.  She graciously obliged and here it is:)

About Grandma

By Carrie Backe

I sat for months

At your grandma’s

Bedside,

Long days of just holding

Her soft, fragile, bony hand.

We seldom spoke.

She either didn’t know me or

She’d nod off in the middle

Of a sentence.

The air was not fresh,

Just hot and antiseptic.

I wanted to take her out,

So we could walk barefoot in

The grass,

But she was too tired.

I want to tell you:

Don’t do all that

For me.

It is heartbreaking,

And useless.

I want to tell you:

Stay home, and hug

Your children.

But I can’t.

Because, sometimes,

Once in a while,

Grandma’s grip was strong,

Her eyes focused,

And I saw her,

Somewhere inside,

For a moment.

And that was

Enough.

(Readers: please remember that we accept and publish good poetry.  In fact, we have a POETRY tab.  Send your poems to peoplesgazette@gmail.com)