Late Thanksgiving night during the pandemic

This is the last piece to come out of my recent poetry class. Miss you, Nana.

Late Thanksgiving night during the pandemic

You left this world the way you lived
Isolated
And alone.

I used to wonder why you kept yourself
At a distance,

Aloof.

Why you never showered us with tenderness
But rather took us all to task

Now you’re gone,
So sudden
So quick
No chance to say goodbye, just

Poof.

As a child, it was easy to misread
Take it personal
But I’m grown now, and a momma

So, I finally understand

Life didn’t come easy to you and
Embracing your soft side didn’t come

Naturally.

When it came to you,
My soft side didn’t come, either

Naturally.

But now I wish it had.

I wish I knew your story
I wish I’d thought to ask
I wish I knew your sadness
I wish you hadn’t been my task
I wish I knew

You.

*Image by Melanie from Pixabay.