Jigsaw Puzzle
When my neighbor told me
over the fence
a month ago
the doctor said
she had two years to live,
I took her at her word.
Then two weeks later
her daughter calls
and says the funeral
is Saturday.
What to make of this?
I look out the window
over to her yard
as I have for 30 years and see
the garage door’s down.
Not something I’d expect
on a summer day like this.
She should be on her mower,
a buckaroo riding,
or on her knees weeding
but I see nothing over there
except grass growing.
This winter, tell me
who will I sit across from
doing jigsaw puzzles
while sipping Earl Grey tea
and pining aloud for spring.
She told me once
life’s a jigsaw puzzle
that doesn’t end until
the last piece is in place.
This time she found
the last piece before
the others were in place.
Donal Mahoney
