Share the Joy – A Poem

I was getting

off of the

elevator when a

voice called out

from around the corner.

“Hello? Are you the flower man?”

I turned the

corner and spied

a little old

lady standing in

her open doorway.

She was the

neighbour I had

never seen. She

had a kerchief

on her hair

decorated with brightly

coloured flowers and

it was also

covered in sparkles.

“I must look a sight.”

She said, smiling.

“He called to tell me my flowers are coming and my hair was a mess. I’m sure I look horrible!”

She let out

a belly laugh

of a chuckle

and I smiled.

“No, you look beautiful. I love the sparkles.”

She reached up

a hand to

touch the kerchief.

“Isn’t it lovely? My great grand daughter gave it to me when I saw them last.”

“When was that?”

“Almost three years ago now. She’s grown up to be quite the lady.”

“I’m sure she has.”

She looked into

the hallway again

and smiled at me.

“I don’t know what’s keeping him. Maybe he got lost in the building.”

“Did you want me to go down and see if he’s in the lobby?”

I spotted a

walker behind her

and she was

holding onto the

doorframe for support.

“No need, dear, that’s kind of you. I’m just excited to get the flowers!”

Her joy was

infectious and I

smiled again, feeling

so much light.

“Is there a special occasion for the flowers? Is it your birthday?”

“No, dear, I stopped having birthdays when I turned eighty. No, the flowers are to celebrate the birth of another great grandchild! My grandchild Josie had another baby girl!”

“That’s lovely, congratulations!”

“That’s sweet of you dear. They said that since I couldn’t be there with them, I could at least share the joy.”

I thought of

the idea, sharing

joy with others,

even if they

are far away.

I thought of

this woman, my

neighbour, bursting with

so much joy

that it was

making me joyous, too.

“You tell them that that was a wonderful thing to do. What are you going to do to celebrate?”

She let out

a little laugh.

“I’m going to have a glass of wine, put on some nice music and look at my flowers.”

As if on

cue, we heard

the elevator doors

and a man

carrying the largest

vase of flowers

that I had

ever seen strode

towards us. I

smiled at him.

“She’s been waiting for you.”

When she saw

them, I thought

she would burst

from the joy,

her face shining.

Instead, it lifted

the spirits of

both the deliver

man and myself.

He had had

a grumpy look

on his face

before, but now,

much like me,

he was smiling.

“Oh, you do know how to spoil an old lady. Bring them into my dining room if you could and put them on the table. And dear-”

She reached out

and took my

hand, giving it

a little squeeze.

“Thank you.”

The door closed

behind her, but

her joy flowed

out of her

apartment in a

wave of sparkles

and light. I

rode the wave

of joy home.