With Basin and Towel

Beauty as I’d never seen 
Eyes closed through mirror dark
Vision of servant at deed
Still takes my heart apart 

Humility on bended knees
Splashes hitting her feet and the floor 
Hands tremulous by advancing disease 
Undeterred for the one he adored 

His bride of 60 some years 
Her hip broken now newly repaired 
Unable to reach her own feet 
She sat on toilet lid as a chair 

I’d offered to do the washing 
Dad insisted that he be the one 
Refusing to let Parkinson’s stop him 
I watched him do as his Savior had done 

   ~Karen DiProspero 2023