It was a hot summer day
I went to see you
The last time I came
You were still at home
I wore a pink shirt you bought me
Years ago
You didn’t remember
But when I told you
I was wearing a shirt
You gave me
You said
How grateful you were
That I always remembered
Her gifts and
Took a good care of them
This time
You were at a care home
As we waited in the guest room
You arrived in a wheel chair
I wasn’t sure
You recognized me
You didn’t call anybody’s name
Anymore
But you looked at me
Intently
As if recalling something
Close to your heart
It was a brief visit
You followed us to the entrance
As we opened the door to leave
You were again watching me
Intently
I placed my hand on your lap
And said I would come again
Your legs looked the same
As I remembered
From the time
When I was little
Stayed at your house
And chatted just the two of us
In the evenings
I didn’t know
When I would see you again
Or if I ever would
But I still told you
I would come again soon
Because that’s how
We’d always say goodbye
To each other
Just before getting in the car
I looked back
And there you were
Sitting on the wheelchair
Looking in our direction
Intently
And I captured that moment
In my heart
It was a hot summer day
The last time I saw you