Maisie’s empty stomach cramps
Her bones feel small inside her sleeves,
her feet are aching and sore
and her legs don’t want to move.
She used to worry about what was on the TV
She used to worry about what to eat for her tea
She used to worry about getting to work on time so she wasn’t late for a shift
She used to worry about which outfit to wear for a night out.
Then she started to worry about wrinkles
and the arthritis in her hips
and then going to the hospital for fear of infection
and then turning on her fire because of the cost
So now she’s an old lady with blankets
and gnarled hands, sitting all alone in the cold.
