Reviewing Troops Not There Poem by Donal Mahoney

I don't see her often
since she died
but when I do
it's eerie over there
at dawn or dusk.

She's a commandant
reviewing troops
no longer there
wandering about the land
that was once her garden
before her son sold it
to someone who will build
a condo and make
a lot of money.

No wonder she looks upset
when I see her walking
over the leveled ground,
waving her baton, expecting
roses and lilies to bloom
once more and salute.