Decked out in chiffon and lace
young Ella, named after mom,
never felt so grown,
rushing to mother’s call -
eager to pilot the stroller today.
The streets to market were vacant
save for a frail widow
guiding her walker to their right -
smiling at the girl in chiffon.
Without warning, shocks
seized the old woman's frame,
spreading her like a crucifix
beside the irrelevant walker.
She battled through glazing eyes,
clinging to the images of mother, stroller
and the girl in chiffon -
their cries a distant echo.
But their images presently faded
and old dear Ella returned to original dust.
“Requiescat in pacem.”
July, 2006
Robert Charles Howard
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/requiescat-in-pacem/
