for Claire Kimmel

Outside her window the sun is warming the roses, 
We agree we can smell them through the glass.
Claire begins to speak:

I am so glad you asked me about my mother.
My mother writes me notes.
When I got up this morning
There was a note, here you see, in this dish,
It’s a pretty dish, isn’t it? 
She left it here with my rosary.
Her notes are always in Polish. 
I think she might be lonely.

We were very close when I was young, my mother and I.
My daughter, Claire Ann - she’s a good daughter – 
We are close like that too.

I was born in Mt. Carmel and when I was old enough
My mother would send me to the shops.
She would say “Claire, would you go to the store for me.” 
Maybe there would be a penny for me to spend at the grocery.
I didn’t need a note, you know, I could remember.
I would go to the grocery and maybe to the butcher shop,
And you know, the butcher knew her, 
He knew all the women in the neighborhood.
He knew what to give me 
What would please my mother 
When I asked for a certain cut of meat. 

I would ask Mother, her name was Veronica,
She was an excellent cook and pie baker,
I would say “Mother, what are you going to make?”
She would smile, “I’m going to make something different,
Something I am hungry for,
when it’s made, I will give you some.”

Sometimes women do things they don’t want to do.
But sometimes, they do exactly what they want.

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.
I was able to do many things I wanted to do  
Taking care of people, 
I wanted to do that. 
It is important to take care of people.

There was a man in this room the first day I came here, 
He was so kind to me.
I like to give him fruit 
When I go out, if I see him.
He is always very kind and caring, 
But I don’t know his real name,
So I call him Jesus Christ, 
Because that is who he really is,
Who we are all meant to be - Jesus Christ. 
We are meant to care for each other.

When I find the note from Mother, I will show you.
Her notes are always in Polish,
They say, Bardzo cie kocham.
“Claire, I love you very much.”

*note: Claire was an initial creator of the Home Nursing Agency in Centre County, PA.