Alone
By Ruth Rin
That morning, I was devastated when my email I read,
And learned of the death of my high-school friend.
All those years, Sarah and I had stayed connected
After to England she had relocated
Her daughter was messenger of the bitter news;
I joined others on a video-call for funeral views.
While losing aging friends is part of life grief,
This fact neither consoled me, nor offered relief.
How to make the best of our later years?
Planning ahead takes creativity,
Preparing for times of lesser agility
Do I replace the tub with a shower?
How to keep items that benefit and empower?
A fall in advanced years adds a hazard dimension,
Removing all obstacles may help toward prevention.
Reflecting on these ideas, myself I remind
To make each day be of the meaningful kind.
Remembering to be grateful when challenges arise,
Sharing with others can make us wise.
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Yesterday, after the funeral of Sarah, my friend,
Enveloped in deep sadness and thought,
I started bringing in groceries I had bought.
From the car, up the side-steps, I went,
One bag after another I fetched.
But, oh! Just as I reached for the last bag to lift,
The storm-door slammed hard on my foot, and I slipped!
I yelled out in pain, but no one heard,
As searing sensations shot through my leg,
I crawled to the freezer for an ice-pack to grab.
Placed on my sore ankle – to ease the stab.
Musing how a split-second of lost concentration
Can cause severe harm of long duration.
Afraid to stand on that foot, on the floor I sit.
I phone my daughter and friends as the moments flit.
No answer, so messages for them I left,
“Take matters into your hands” I say to myself.
In desperation, nine-one-one I call.
The ambulance arrives wailing, paramedics and all.
They examine my leg – I’m in pain and in fear,
“No broken bones” – So reassuring to hear!
Helping me rise, they hand me crutches,
I thank them profusely for their attentive touches.
Being alone at a time of distress
Is an unsettling feeling, I must confess.
But shortly thereafter, my phone resounds,
As friends, family, neighbors to my voice-mails respond.
My new friend, Jane, shows up at my door
Helps with the groceries, shows support galore.
The very fact that she appears,
Soothes my pain and calms my fears.
My daughter’s visit cheers me immensely!
Reaffirming our love for each other as family!
And even a neighbor with whom I barely talk,
When she hears my message, over she walks.
Unforeseen was the injury, shook me to the core,
But absence of complications it did underscore!
As I lay in bed, ice-wrapped foot elevated,
A thought emerged, previously unstated:
Countering our acute feelings of aloneness,
We are uplifted by people’s goodness!
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By Ruth Rin, 2024
