The Christmas Song And The Elderly Poem by EMMALINE ORTIZ

'The First Noel the Angel did say...'
brings back a certain sadness up to this day
It reminds me of a voluntary act I did in the past.
Every Saturday at the adult nursery
I had to wheel the residents in going to the mass.
I met this elderly who somehow became dear to me.

One day at the lounge, he was not around.
I checked him in his room to see if he's safe and sound.
As I walked near the open door
The sound of The First Noel song increased more and more
Its melody so haunting, echoing the insides of my flustered mind.
Beside the window pane, I saw him sitting
His sad frail eyes were out there looking as if he's longing and waiting.
That frame of moment sent shivers to my spine.

Suddenly, silent tears flowed upon my face like a pouring rain.
The spirit of empathy possessed my soul; I felt the need to ease his pain.
But I valued his privacy and didn't want to cause him more grief
'on a cold winter's night that was so deep...'
Though it's heart-breaking, I had to walk away
and just prayed for his peace & happiness so that his misery would go away.

Emmaline Ortiz
Winnipeg, Manitoba
December 8,2009
I dedicated this poem to the elders of St Joseph's Residence


Life may be bound by the dictates of your senses; but it is the purpose of your existence that eventually wheels you to your destination, no matter how you burn all the bridges of connection.