Crazy Mama

She was probably
A bit insane
Most of her life,
But she was
Distinctly senile
By the time
He got to know her.
She is his grandmother
On his mother's side,
A feisty independent,
And generally harmless
Little old lady,
Who still lives alone,
Though surrounded
By relatives.
Out of necessity,
The family has taken to
Locking the gate
In the fence
Around the property
To keep her inside.
She tends to
Wander off whenever
She gets a chance.
One time she was found
Walking alongside
The freeway out of town
Heading who knows where.
Another time someone
Recognized her strolling
On the far side of town
And kindly brought
Her back home.
Apparently “Mama,”
As all of the family
Likes to call her,
Has mentally erased
His mother from her mind.
It could have something
To do with the fact that
They never got along
All that well to begin with.
Anyway, his mother
Stopped by to check on Mama,
And see how she was doing.
Mama's response
Was to call the police
And report a strange woman
Inside her house.
Even when confronted
With old family photographs
Clearly showing
His mother as a part
Of the family,
Mama claimed not to know
Who her daughter was.
He rather imagines
The police officers
Responding to the complaint
Must have had a laugh
Out of that situation.
Mama is full of
Quirks and eccentricities,
And one of the most bizarre
Is that she has lately
Given birth to
A porcelain Christ figure
Which she carries
All over the place
Wrapped in a blanket,
Treating it like a baby.
She tells everyone
How good her baby is
Because it is so quiet,
And she dutifully
Cautions visitors
To be quiet
So they don't
Wake up the baby,
When anyone picks up Mama,
Someone has to
Stay behind and babysit
Her precious baby.
In spite of all that,
And maybe sometimes
Because of her wacky dementia,
She is loved by everyone.