Penmanship

Her handwriting
was so pretty
and graceful
cursive
not print
penmanship was
an accomplishment
when she grew up
graceful and perfect loops and swirls
precise
and now she grasps the pen
between swollen arthritic fingers
and everything
looks like a second grader
learning to write
tentative and uneven
jagged and sloppy
but she is concentrating
carefully forming each letter
it just doesn’t work
instead jerkiness and no smooth flowing letters
her fingers and hands just
can’t hold the pen
control the movement
and she can’t change a thing