SEEING HER DECEASED

I had never before seen a dead body
And did not quite know how I would feel:
I walked in: She was lying on her bed-
Mouth open- my grandmother
Having passed away in her care home
About an hour earlier.
Did I feel sad? Yes.
Though she was 95.
Her time had come.
My mother, brother and sister
Were there.
We did not cry.  Not then.
I suppose there was a feeling
Of sad inevitability.
Perhaps stupidly it
Occurred to me to
Take a photo of
My grandmother on
My mobile phone.
I didn't.
We chatted about the photos
And other possessions 
In her room.
Did we want the pictures?
The doctor arrived to certify
Her death.  We waited;
The care home staff provided
Coffees and teas
Then with little more
To be said or done that night
Mum kissed my grandmother's head
"Goodbye Mum".
It was kind of an end of an era.

MDC