Too Early

 

Too Early

 

She was born in 1949, eight months early for the second half of the Twentieth Century.

She spent the rest of her life being early so

   she spent the rest of her life waiting ...

   waiting for others to catch up – to arrive – to understand.

 

She walked faster than her husbands.

She tried to match her stride to theirs but she could not

   so she developed the habit of waiting for them

   at the next corner – at the next bend - the next bench.

 

She finished her meals before others finished their salads so she had to sit with an empty plate in front of her and wait and watch other people chew. She tried many ways to eat slower – chewing her food forty times like her toothless grandmother suggested

  chop sticks

  eating food she didn’t like.  

  Nothing worked.

 

She always woke up before the house was ready to stir

and she had to tip toe about and do quiet things

until the rest of the world was ready

  for her to make noise

  and bang pots together

  and play her loud music

  and let the dogs bark.

 

She will reach the end of her life before the ones she will leave behind.

She will try to stay with them as long as she can.

She will do without cigarettes

  and alcohol

  and she will check her breasts in the shower

  and have bone density tests. She will drink green tea

  and do yoga and get plenty of fresh air

 

But she will die any way

  too early.

Reviews

[Wolfwind Words]

What view on things! I like it. kinda sad at the end. But i've know a few people just like that. I really liked the way it flowed, and the images you brought into the writing. My favorite was the salad one. I've been in that shoe before! :) Keep up the great work!

[Tania Leigh]

Excellent portrayal....one thing I really like about this is that although I get the sense that she was always "in a rush" as a result of being too early, she also seemed to be a patient person....really good imagery here :-)

[Brenda Sue]

Oh this is beautiful. Wonderful view of someone's life. Great write.

[Candle in the wind]

What an engaging poem so uniquely different.Reminds me of my grandmother( My dad's mom who passed away last year ) who was ahead of her times and was always waiting for others to catch up.Thats just na evocation but even otherwise you bring to light that being early can sometimes be as frustrating as being late if not more especially when you have to wait around for people to catch up