Grandma's Eyes

I looked into your eyes today,
Eyes once so familiar and loved,
Now strange and withdrawn.
Where are you, Grandma?
Whose voices are you hearing
And whom do you see? Do
You remember me? The child
You raised is now a woman,
Unknown by you, unfamiliar
And frightening. You act as
If you hear my voice and
Are struggling to recall the
Child you knew, but you call me
By my great-mother's name.
You smile and whisper of a time
Before I was. I cringe and realize
A time that is yet to be for I
See the outlines of a familiar
Stranger on your face.
I hear the soft wings of a
Passing awaiting to come.
I take your hand and
Remember the past,
Knowing the future,
Tears inside.

 -Author Unknown