Elsie

Today I met Elsie.

We met over the garden fence.

Me tending the garden.

She on her daily walk about.

She stopped to greet Molly.

'Such a lovely dog, she is' said Elsie.

She told me that she was as old as the trees.

"These trees here on this street, you know,

these trees and I have grown old together" she said.

The fingers on here hands were blue.

I wanted to hold them and warm them.

But the pearl buttons on her sweater

and the gold leaf shaped earrings

she wore,

said it didn't matter,

she wasn't complaining.

'Those are Comfrey plants you have there dear.

Dig up the roots my love, make a poultice from the leaves,

those are healing plants you have my dear,

they're so special."

We spoke of days gone by.

About a book she was reading on the second world war.

How she missed having a dog now that she lived in

an apartment that doesn't permit them.

And of how television and computers and cars

have made us all

lonely

and

isolated.

Today I met Elsie.

I wanted to hold her blue hands

and warm them.

But instead, this woman as old as the trees

took my heart in her blue hands

and warmed it.

Thank you Elsie.

Victoria