Monday 18 July 2011

Miss.Shepherd

When I was 10 years old
I went with my mother to a rambling house
somewhere near Gloucester
as I recall.

We were taken to a kitchen
not like the one in my house
to my 10 year old eyes
this was the biggest kitchen ever
with a patina of old that hung in the air.

“She is just on her way”, said a lady to my mother
we continued to sit
I was scared to break the silence.

The door opened
and in came the diminutive soul
we had come to visit.
She was my mother’s friend from many years ago.

This was Miss Shepherd
she looked so very, very old
there were deep ruts in her face
so little and frail,
with this crinkly face
and she most definitely
was the oldest person I had ever seen
when I was 10.

I have never forgotten Miss Shepherd.
She was so old
that I was scared of her
so incredibly scared.

Now that I am grown up
I am so sad that I had been scared.



1 comment:

CherryPie said...

The wisdom of age...

It scares the young and enlightens people as they grow.