THAT GLORIOUS SONG OF OLD 

  
 Wheelchairs and daybeds pushed into the main lounge
 Patronizing smiles of local touring songsters
 bob condescendingly, fearfully, up and down to jingling bells
 lights twinkling in odd syncopation
 fruitcake doled out to those without restricted diets
 Virgin Mary and virgin eggnog
 Raise a toast in palsied hands and swallow your meds, please
 Fresh pine in the foyer cannot mask
 the reek of age-related accidents
 Former choir director in her finest sweatsuit
 flailing St. Vitas arms 
 lurching antlers for Rudolph and his gang
 Reclusive withered man from down the hall suddenly
 stands and Harks the Herald
 astonishing attendants on duty with a surprisingly strong baritone
 Golden Horizons is rocking, rocking, 
 rockin’ round the Christmas tree tonight
 Back to the future childlike wonder on senile faces
 Every time the front doors open all heads that are able
 turn with habitual expectation
 clouded eyes shamefully retreating into resignation
 learned from weeks, months, years of loneliness
 Why should tonight be any different?
 This is family now
 nurses, doctors, volunteers
 tend feeble, incontinent, tremulous souls
 Wizened bodies slowly curling back
 into fetal shapes before their final pilgrimage
 Following that star of Bethlehem
 Home.

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Lori D. Roadhouse is a Calgary writer, poet, aphorist and singer. She is involved with many poetry organizations and is a Board member of the Single Onions Poetry Series. From 2008-2010 she was co-artistic director, performer and MC of Lotus Land at South Country Fair, and was the 2009 Poet-in-Residence for Radiant Lights eMagazine. Lori co-created the Writing Toward the Light Poetry Contest and Concert. She was the Poet Laureate for the 2015 Peter Gzowski International PGI for Literacy event for CanLearn Society.  She is a featured reader at poetry and spoken word events, and has been published in many anthologies, magazines, newsletters, websites, radio programs, and CDs. Most recently, Lori has participated as a consulting editor for WordCity Monthly.