On Getting Old

My mother played solitaire, Dozens of varieties, With a miniature deck of cards That traveled with her When she visited her children. She lived with me, but She couldn’t hear well And smoked a LOT, so She stayed in her room A great deal of the time. She smoked and played solitaire, Sitting by the window At her cluttered card table. Now I play spider solitaire on my computer in my room. I live in a senior residence, so I don’t spend as much time At it as my mother did. I can choose to play Bingo Or other card games Like Bridge or Pitch Or sing in a little chorus. I can go on an occasional trip. My hearing is okay with The hearing aids and I don’t smoke! My children come to see me But they don’t have me underfoot. I have the best of both worlds.