Old Sam In Room 322 Poem by Donal Mahoney

Old Sam in Room 322
at the nursing home asked
the nurse to push his bed

near the window because
in October he likes to watch the leaves
on the Japanese Maple change color

from their summer green
to the red, yellow and maroon of fall
before the branches go nude for the winter.

The nurse chuckled and said
she hadn’t heard of his interest
in trees and nature and Sam said

watching the leaves change color
and fall off slowly reminds him of
his wife getting home from work

and taking her time to change clothes,
comb her hair and primp a little before
smiling and coming to bed.