Beverly Finney
One More Goodbye
She carefully laid out
the clean plaid shirts,
red and blue mostly,
long sleeves tucked in
neatly, collars buttoned.
She creased the jeans,
smoothing them gently
with her hand before
folding them over twice
to make a neat stack.
In the afternoon sun,
she drove to the nearest
Goodwill center, pulled
under the shelter where
the volunteer met her.
Then she returned home,
stopped in the driveway,
put her forehead against
the silent steering wheel,
sighed deeply, and wept.
Wild Goose Poetry Review 