taking the time

he said he saw her that morning,
the old lady,
the grandmother,
on her knees in the kitchen
picking up oatmeal
flakes of oatmeal

when the bag of garbanzo beans over flowed
onto the kitchen floor today
and i knelt down
picking them up
one at a time
i thought of the old woman

knowing the value of one thing
taking the time
to pick it up

it is not the first time that memory has returned

i stop to pick up
i kneel to wipe the floor
i take the time