By Brenda S. McKinney
Mrs. Bascom ruminated
in her modest room
upstairs over the coin laundry,
praying, wondering who
was to blame for her dilemma
and what she could do.
All whose names began with “A through
H” were asked to bring
a dish of meat. (A simple thing!)
Not that she had minded;
she would gladly have complied.
But Mrs. Bascom had no money
with which to provide
until Social Security
arrived in her account.
Mrs. Bascom had some rice,
and that in small amount.
The pastor’s wife with gourmandise
sampled every offering
and heaped her plate with fare of preference,
mindless of the sting
the bulletin’s announcement had
delivered to the poor.
She never noticed they were absent
as she returned for more
Brenda McKinney is a freelance writer and artist. She resides with her husband in Fairborn, Ohio.
Wow. Very poignant. How often do we forget that not everyone is in the same financial or even emotional situation we are in.
Very nicely done. A telling and appropriate message for all of us.