Assisted Living

She smoothed the worn out roses on the apron in her lap lamplight mellowed roughened knuckles as she spread out her treasures Like Silas Marner,thumbing his golden coins Martha gently fingered every token of her life's journey Some she even kissed,tenderly,reverently,recalling some dear face,a memory,attached as surely as if it was etched,permanently ,on her heart. Martha smiled,whispered,and prayed as one by one she placed her keepsakes back in a cedar box until she came to the one thing she always saved til last Her wedding veil. still crinkly and alive though yellowed with time she took it up and put it on.Stiffly she hobbled to the mirror In the looking glass she was nineteen and aglow with love Arthur stood behind her,smoothing her hair. she turned as he lifted the veil to kiss her, Come my love,let's go down to dinner,he mummered in her hair She took his arm and let him escort her to the dining room The reception was a great success,or so the nurses told her as they dressed her for bed and carefully put the mischievious veil back in the cedar box beside her bed.