Old Woman

Poem and photo by Lee Ann Eckhardt Smith

When I’m an old woman
Twisted
Like my humour and
Stripped
Of supple skin
May I still hunch over
To seek the scent of a flower
May my gnarly arms
Stretch to hold
You
My lovelies
You know who you are.

If I spout crooked sentences
Pock-marked
By missing nouns
Will you
Apply the soft salve of your attention?
Will you
See past the white bones risen
To my skin’s surface
And listen kindly
To what I have to offer:

What I have learned
What I have earned
From being rooted in the complex soil
Of a life well-lived.

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Lee Ann Eckhardt Smith is a professional writer from Richmond, who has been exploring the sites of the village and providing Richmond Hub readers with her photographs and the poems that these sites inspire her to write.

Many Richmond residents will recognize this magnificent tree, which can be seen from the Twin Elm bridge. She continues to age with grace and beauty, inspiring this poem.

You can contact Lee Ann here: www.leeanneckhardtsmith.com

Find a copy of the poem you can download  and print here.