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Grandma On Call


Sometimes I talk to my Grandma
And she seems so far away.
I know she doesn't mean to offend me
As she stares off, day after day.

The doctors call it dementia
And, until today, so did I.
But never again will I misunderstand
Or make up some other lie.

She told me why she prays all day
And why she fingers her cross.
She told me why she forgets my name
And why it's not really a "loss."

This morning my Grandma informed
She works a job full-time each day.
It's a long commute both to and from
And she doesn't even get paid!

"My body stays put but my soul heads to work.
I'm on call twenty-four, seven.
I'm a part of a program called Angel-in-Training,
So I spend many hours in heaven.

My job is to listen to prayer after prayer
Of those who pray for a friend.
I spend all day long hearing thousands of prayers
And I can't get them out of my mind.

So please don't be hurt when I can't place your name
Or remember my own date of birth.
It's only because I'm still new on the job
As an Angel-in-Training on earth.

Just smile and relax and say to yourself
When you see me do other odd things,
"I'll just bet Grandma's planning her speech
For the day she gets her wings!"'

COPYRIGHT 2000 by Laura Carter
lauracarter23226@yahoo.com

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© Copyright Gail R. Mitchell..
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