My Grandmother

The shadows lengthen quickly 
On the last day with my grandmother 
I want to remember every detail 
How she likes her tea weak 
The subtle bite of the Dutch cheese 
Always found in her 
Just adequately stocked fridge 
The quietudes of space that ripple between us 
The way light holds sound still beneath the waves 
I know these details will fade 
Just as her attachment to life fades 
I can see her staring out into the distance 
Becoming less and less of this world 
Bowing out of this flow 
Misty-eyed moving to a place I can't yet see 
And still, the jasmine blooms outside her door 
Sweet perfume lingering for a moment 
Before sighing away.

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