Fleeting

My grandma used to be a courageous woman. 

She used to be someone you would be afraid to annoy,

or disappoint, or argue with.
She had quite a temper when 

she had been given a grievance.
She used to yell at the naughty neighborhood kids

who would pluck fruits from her trees.
She used to threaten us kids 

when we misbehave, and she kept her word.
She used to exude a haughty aura

that might make anyone stop and listen

when she speaks.

She used to remember if someone borrowed money,

and made sure she ask them for it every other day.
She used to climb her trees, 

hack away at her garden and do all the labor.
She used to go to the roof, mend things if any

and not ask anyone else, cause as per her words,

she can do it by herself.
She used to usher us home when we try to sleep over,
during our teens, and tells us she doesn't need

anyone.

But this are all long past gone.

As years went by, she became a brittle old woman

in her eighties - penguin-walking to and fro,

needing a hand here and there.

She now cries because she thinks you are shouting at her

- you cannot help but shout, she is hard of hearing now!

She now apologizes even if she did nothing wrong,

or for disturbing us for the littlest things 

or for being a burden.

She now thinks like that, she says those a lot.
She now forgets a lot of things, 

her memory is as old as she is now,

and any new information does not come through anymore.
She now lives with a son who shouts at her,

well because she is hard of hearing.
She now lives with a son who she cannot control
and cannot threaten because she is afraid 

he might beat her with his enormous size.

He is of normal size as any man,

grandma just became so small now.
She now lives with a son, who also,

like the rest of the world today,

is jobless and has no income,
and whom she is afraid of losing.
Afraid to lose him so badly, that even if her heart hurts
she wants him home, looks for him and asks for him.
She now comes over despite her penguin walk,

and asks kindly that she sleeps over to be with her

daughter, my mom, because she doesn't want to sleep alone.
This despite having a son who lives with her 24/7.
Her mind is a mess when you try an inquiry,

and she now cries if forced for a reply.
She now has a logic that everyone is against her 

and she will cry about it.

I look at all this and think to myself,
"How the mighty have fallen."
And remind my inner self that someday
I might as well be just like her.