GELI BARBERÁ LAÍNEZ

De izquierda a derecha: Ramón Fdez. de Guevara, Rafael Coloma, Geli Barberá,
María Teresa Espasa y Vicente Barberá. (Foto gentileza de Paco Ponce).

GLADYS and her garden

Gladys searched for the memories

of life in her garden….

Gladys welcomed me and

sought in me

a shared silent complicity.

Whenever we met,

after a long time

- without having seen each other -

she wanted me next to her for a short chat of family affairs…

GLADYS searched in her garden

for the memories of life.

She delighted us with turkey, mince pies

and roast pork…the house smelt of joy and care.

GLADYS’s Christmas cake

was superb!

She enjoyed having us around her

family parties, weddings, birthdays, any date would suit for

laughing, chatting, eating…

Then a prolonged weakness embraced her,

each step an eternal willing hope

to be able to do it better.

But this time never came

though she kept her eyes wide open

so as to receive the sparkle of our lives.

One night she gave her back to the moon

sitting on her bed

while I got her undressed,

she lifted her face, she held me tight,

she was saying goodbye.

That was the last time we were looking at her garden.