A Stranger Came To Stay

A stranger came to stay today, it took me by surprise, A stranger came to stay today, I could see it in her eyes, Yes she looked like my Nan, the one I’d loved for years, Yes, she was the same Nan who had wiped away my tears. But I knew a stranger came stay today, & she had no plans to go away. On a good day I’d feel elated that she had remembered my name Then on the bad days, we’d have to play this important little game Whereby she’d only talk to me if I pretended to be Scottish Maggie MacPherson I wonder Grandad, if in her younger days, she’d actually known this person? Although you’d gone to spirit long before Nan became so ill She spoke to you every day, thinking you were in her life, still She got very angry when she thought you were late home from work And demanded every day that my Mom was to wash & starch your shirts Mom was at a loss to know how to cope with Nan’s constant mood swings Your prim & proper sweetheart would swear like a trooper & throw things Nan’s eyes would glaze over and Mom knew she’d be in for another episode Whereby this stranger that came to stay, would just lash out & explode Heart breaking to see the collapse my beautiful intelligent well-loved Nan We knew this illness was not her fault & to hurt Mom was never her plan Doing everything to make her comfortable and happy was all we could do Until it was her time to make her journey home to spirit and to YOU One day the stranger who came to stay, knew she was moving on to a better place She was different & we could see a serenity & peacefulness envelope her face Her death was very upsetting, but her release was a joyous occasion too As it was the day her mind was set free & she could rest in the arms of you