She had outlived them all

She had outlived them all

The people she loved

And loathed.

Even on a good day,

She was hard to like.

Her tendency to tell it

As she saw it

Had alienated her

From all but close family.

She could fall out with them

For years

And did

Many times.

But they were blood,

Eventually, things changed

Blood turned to blood

When it mattered.

But they were all gone

“Alcohol and misery

Have a way of making you pay”

She muttered

To no one in particular.

Repetition, a regular tendency

Not easily recognised

Or to change.

It was difficult to engage

With strangers,

Who were all so young

And spoke in a different language

Using pronouns she failed to grasp

As significant,

Which ensured

The ease of conducting

A free-flowing conversation

Was long since over.

All she could think to do

Was to get the words out

Fully formed,

Seeking a connection

Whilst hoping for a reply.

But close family were hard to come by

Choosing to keep their distance.

Acrimony

Easier to avoid

When contact was brief,

Peripheral.

Barely extant,

Rarely long enough

To exchange more than a glance.

She found it difficult to accept

Her part in the isolation

She experienced

And would swear blind

She was not responsible

For the lack of warmth

In her relationships.

Those who were left

Chose to move

In a different direction

At a speed

Too fleeting for intimacy

She spent more time in conversation

With the dead.

At least they listened long enough

For her to finish a sentence

And she was sure,

That once in a while,

They answered her back.