21 Comments
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Nora O’Dowd's avatar

Love the stillness and quiet of the end, the touch of an angel. Beautiful, Ray!!!

Ray Sweatman's avatar

Thanks nora!!!

Earl Nobdy's avatar

Stirring up all sorts of feels and memories. Thanks, Brother Ray

Ray Sweatman's avatar

thanks brother duke!

School of Blue's avatar

I love the Sweatman endings.

Ray Sweatman's avatar

thanks, richard! I love 'em when they don't fight me.

MoTy's avatar

Last stanza mastery, beauty x

Ray Sweatman's avatar

Gracias, moty!

Lily of Oz's avatar

So much to love in this extra ordinary life of Nana. I'm sure she had many stories to tell. I hope there were listeners. Your mothers act of giving her a cooked meal, her way of loving, sits with me. Much enjoyed Ray. I'm reading more here lately, and the GEMS!

Ray Sweatman's avatar

thamks a lot lily!

Petra's avatar

It's all there... the love, frustration, humor, grief, and the ending with its quiet and graceful image. <3

Libertarian's avatar

An Angel on the wall,

Protects Nana from a fall,

Casts into Hell evil.

(I liked it, Ray! Reminds me of my 90 year old great Irish aunt who lived in our packed house and would frustrate my mom to no end with her snippy Irish reviews of meals 😀;

My haiku is a play on the prayer to Michael the Archangel).

Leonorra Dainler's avatar

Amazing! I was in the kitchen with you , living this , feeling the frustration of your Mother as she tries to care for your Nana ( her mother I think with her frustration? ( takes one to know one 🥺)) as her mental state deteriorates . Then the supportive intervention as Dad copes in his way with life too . Oh the family bonds that bind so tightly they cut deep. A beautifully tragic scene

Ray Sweatman's avatar

thanks for the kind words leonorra!

John Edward Keough's avatar

Tip o' the cap.

Antonio Castellaneta's avatar

What stayed with me most was how gently you allowed memory to unfold through ordinary moments. By the time the empty chair appeared, it already carried an entire lifetime. The final image of the angel on the wall felt less like an ending than a quiet continuation. Beautifully restrained.

Ray Sweatman's avatar

Thanks for that close read and kind words, Antonio!

Ray Sweatman's avatar

thanks for the likes, comments and restacks nora, moty, duke, louise, whatisit, martin, mp, lchris, rivers, petra, antonio, nick, neal, sylvie m, hollygolightly, strungoutoncrabs, stephen, lily, erin, richard, sam r, himanshu, rufus, imark, peter, hidden r, katharine, sunshine, foxy, jek, samuel, lo, gan, leonorra, giles, john s, pancake, ndizeye, roger, arazor, shome, hiritika, lib, jolene!