no translation necessary . . .

aunt bea
asked me
to take her
to home depot
for a couple of rugs
in the parking lot
as we left
a woman approached her
asked if she need
a house to rent
aunt bea
said
no
the woman proceeded
to tell her
why she had
to rent her beautiful home
she spoken
with a heavy
spanish accent
very rapid
and
tearful
something about her son
bad marriage
unconcerned judge
and
jail time
seemed like
her entire life story
in forty-five minutes
as she spoke
now and then
she’d switch to spanish
and then
back to english
sometimes
patting on her heart
as she spoke
they parted as friends
as we drove home
i asked aunt bea
if she spoke spanish
and
how much she understood
of the conversation
aunt bea said
no
i don’t speak spanish
and
i didn’t understand
much at all
other than
she was in deep pain
but
like all of us
she
just needed
someone
to listen

– Charles W. Martin 

© 2015, poem and illustration, Charles Martin, All rights reserved