Nancy Stancill

Comments on ‘Tall’

“Whether you’re a six-footer or you top off at five feet, ["Tall"] is a reminder that how you measure yourself is more of a determiner of your success and well-being than any measure on a yardstick.”

– Judy Goldman

. . . . .

“Nancy Stancill takes readers on a grand adventure, from her early life as a painfully shy, 6-foot teenager, to a kickass reporter who learned that height can be power.”

– Cindy Montgomery

Powered by Genesis

  • Home
  • About Tall
  • About Winning Texas
  • About Saving Texas
  • Upcoming events
  • Nancy’s Blog
  • About the author
  • Archives
  • Buy books here
  • Contact

The Last Day

By

March 19, 2021

I wrote this poem about my mother-in-law Jaye, who died two weeks ago.

The Last Day

Hungry.
Stop for
a chicken sandwich.
Arrive at
the nursing home
by 1:15 p.m.

In Jaye’s room,
an attendant
tells us gently:
She passed away
at 1 p.m.

Overwhelmed
by guilt.
If only
we hadn’t stopped,
we could have been present
for the last minutes
of my dear mother-in-law’s life.

Trying to ease
our minds,
the staffer says:
She’s been in
a coma-like
state
for a couple of days.

It’s easy to see
that Jaye
is gone.
Her face
is turning
sallow.
Her body
is so, so still.

We sit
beside her
in silent
mourning.
My sister-in-law
arrives.
We hug
and sob.

A seven-year bout
with dementia
erased
the joy in Jaye’s life –
and some of the joy in mine.

Before,
she had loved me
as if I were
her child.
She praised
my stories,
my mothering,
even my cooking.

Her love for me
was unequivocal.
I loved her
the same way.

If only we
hadn’t stopped,
we could have
held her hands,
stroked her hair,
helped to ease her
into eternity.

Filed Under: Nancy