To My Last Period

Caroline Kennedy was on the radio today.

She's collected some poems and put them together.

"She Walks in Beauty" - mostly for women

falling in love, breaking up, work, children, growing old and growing older are some of the topics.

So the guy on the radio introduces her, talks about the book,

says he wants to read one of the poems.

He says "It's called "To My Last Period"

Well, girl, goodbye.

After 38 years, 38 years

And you've never arrived splendid in your red dress

Without trouble for me somewhere, somehow

Now it's done.

And I feel just like the grandmother who, 

after the hussy has gone sits holding her photograph and sighing

Wasn't she beautiful - wasn't she beautiful.

(By Lucille Clifton, who died last year)

He says to Caroline "and why did you choose that poem?"
There's a bit of a silence - 

"I can't believe you read that poem!"

It was a delightful piece of radio.