"On the Quilted Coattails of Patricia"

On the Quilted Coattails of Patricia

Oh, ’tis my friend Pat on caller ID—to her I happily Hi’d.

’Tis Sean who says, “Mom died.”

Sean spoke on Pat’s phone from Pat’s empty apartment

To my heart still warm with my friend’s love.

My friend, my friend, I miss you.

You’ve gone and left before me—before one last visit.

Gone too soon, Best Friend, with whom I speak of quilts, of children, of travel,

of dreams & schemes, of past and future, of nothing can be done.

Of joy and sorrow, now shadows,

of great service, strength and wisdom to womyn abused,

of her beloved children, grandchildren, great grandchildren.

Pat lived hand quilted Love, skilled Joy—Clarity in rejected blindness,

thoughtfulness unhampered by sacrificed pain & old disease,

of which I shall not speak.

She did not want her kids should worry…

My friend, speak to heart & memory now,

of a future constructed of quilts, of listening,

hearing, you always had time for me.

You are Love now.

We need not worry…

Melba Walton, longtime Seattle resident, still visits from her Mesa home.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.