Writing Prompt: Does She Know I Have Your Keys in My Pocket?

Grandpa wants to take Nana out for a spin
in the Mercedes two-seater with the diesel engine,

to relive the moment she agreed to be his bride
in the hopes the old park would help her recognize

something from their past that matters
instead of all the random chatter

filling her brain, wearing Nana away
from the woman he knows, day after day.

I’ve heard their story a thousand times
how they made lemonade with limes,

a picnic in Pullen Park under the oak tree,
a keepsake he gave her with his picture and key,

before the Alzheimer's began eating her alive,
before the doctor told Grandpa not to drive.

He’s found everything he needs–the basket, the locket–
except for the car keys I have in my pocket.