Increasingly
my neighbor calls
with small requests
that require attention.

She has no one else
or no one else near,
so I serve her
as best I can.

It is not hard
what she asks of me
though it is becoming more frequent
as we all age on.

Soon, I suspect,
I’ll be asked to clean up for her,
serving her needs one last time.
I hope it is not too soon.

I would rather
be inconvenienced
for just a little while longer.