Pearl

She sat there, in that same spot

Every day

First, I thought she was contemplating

Or just admiring the view

Through the window

Then days passed, the routine held fast

Her eyes somewhere between

Contentedness and longing

She'd smile calmly outward

To a world that only she could see

So I let her be, and every once in awhile

I'd catch her out of the corner of my eye

Still gazing toward the glass

And my heart would break a little

Saddened by the recognition

Of late-stage Alzheimer's

Watching her sitting there

Rocking gently in her chair

Sometimes humming a quiet tune

Sometimes silent

Until I passed her in the hall

Late last November, and she looked at me

With defeated eyes, forced a half-smile

And said

"I'll never know

 The world out there

 Again."

Three days later she passed

And I spread her ashes

Just outside that window.