An elderly dream

By Rhiannonw

Thu, 04 Dec 2025
  • 41 reads
6 comments
 

She sat in her chair
and thought and planned
a lovely vacation –
the preparation
expectation
anticipation;
she wrote and she booked
(confused, they looked
on – had she really?
how could she manage
should they speak and discourage,
disparage
such impossible, unworkable plans?);

and shortly before
the date she’d projected,
something suddenly
caused a sad cancellation,

but she’d really enjoyed
for so many hours, days, weeks
the execution, implementation, visitation
tasting and touching, walking and smelling
in dreamy imagination
memories rekindled
of times and abilities long past:
hallucination?

[IP: anticipation]

This is fictional but based on memories of a real incident and person, though the details are now hazy

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Travel
Love
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Making plans is so easy when you're young, but as we age the anticipation is great, but the actual doing is something else that's harder to cope with.

You've explained this in your poem very well Rhiannon.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. Yes, it can be nice to relive past enjoyments when we could!

The old lady of this triggered memory was a difficult lady, but she had no near family, and not much anyway. I 'inherited' her from a friend who had befriended her and did shopping for her. I'm not sure if she got as far as booking, but probably. She used to send for stuff she had no use of, probably enjoying the arrival of packages as she had no family, and got cross that ‘someone was stealing her bank funds’ – we discovered that she had set up many direct debits to charities, which she denied, but I think had sent donations, but filled in the direct debit sections by mistake … Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

There's little more disheartening than a cancelled holiday, especially if it's at the last minute.

However, my first ever visit to Bulgaria was hastily arranged when another holiday I had spent months planning had to be pulled at short notice. A day or two of big disappointment turned into a life-changing moment for me.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Interesting, and good for you. 

I don't think this lady was disappointed, as she almost certainly knew deep down it wouldn't be possible, and so 'found a way out', but meanwhile got much enjoyment from the fantasy in anticipation! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Isn't it ironic Rhiannon? Tragic. Reminds us to live in the "now" and the story is like my late mother she also had grand plans for touring the world she saved many years had the money and time and everything but then in the end she passed unexpectedly and rather suddenly.

In her time she already had done some travellling she loved it with all the "old aunties"! She must have had some good funds but we haven't seen much of it, feels more like a prisoner.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why we call it "the present".

See you! Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tom. Yes, and look for what we can give and gain from this day's 'present'! Good to have memories, but also good to realise what we can still do, even in a confined area. There is beauty in small plants and views, and there are little things to do and pray about!

Some people covet big holidays, and go on them, but are left empty and tired.

Rhiannon