An elderly woman
At the library
Hands shaking
As she reads
The obituaries
Tears spread
Down creased cheeks
“All my friends are dying!
Soon there will be no one left,
Then what am I to do?”
Hell can be no worse
Than an old lady
Crying in the library
James Roberts
James P. Roberts is the author of six previous collections of poetry, including One Hundred Breaths, which was published by Portage Press in 2020. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin where he is a regional Vice-President for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and is active in many literary endeavors. Recently, he has resumed his alter persona as “The Captain” and begun performing at area musical Open Mics, playing guitar, mandolin and charango.
Portage Magazine 