Courage

She doesn’t love him any more
He hasn’t paid attention in years.
She’s comfortable with the arrangement
doesn’t want for material gifts
her children are grown and happy
states away from her, she’s free.
She belongs to groups that occupy her
volunteers each week with children's causes.
She’s older now, so many of her friends
have passed on, so many are ill.
She could stay but she knows if she does
she will just accept this as her due.
She takes her leave, decides she wants
more in her last years, more for herself.

The house is small, she doesn’t have much
her easel and paints are in a corner of her room
she can have a dog now, a small one to cuddle with
she writes what she wants and paints every day
takes long walks by the sea.She has met several men
who find her fascinating, one says she’s eccentric as
if that were an asset. She has friends over, one or two
at a time and she laughs now and takes her paintings
to the festivals for show; sells one now and then.
She wears long flowing skirts,linen blouses, and hats
to keep the sun off her face and she looks good in them.
Her courage has paid off, she thinks, being alone isn’t
half as bad as feeling alone was.
Judy Roney