Grandma

I thought about
calling you today;
picking up the phone,
dialing the numbers
waiting for your voice

To take me to a better place

Life is God's gift,
you always said;
but even so it can be
a hard road with twists, turns
and 'Detour' signs everywhere

Even as a child
I knew you as a blessing;
a reason for me to smile
even when my mouth
didn't want to

My teenage years
were filled with turmoil--
growing up in a world
filled with challenges
and littered with wrong turns

But then there was always you

In my twenties
I still had you, and your voice,
with that ability
You always had
To make me smile

But then the unthinkable...
you were suddenly gone
and now my thoughts betray reality
because your voice
is no longer there

To take me to a better place