Grandmother

While eating lunch, an old woman

Sitting at the next table asks us,

"Where are you all from?"

 

She looks over our tables, seeing

Isolated islands of purple volunteer shirts

And sweaty, tired faces.

 

"Chicago," we proudly reply, in unison.

 

"You've come a long way to help us,"

We shrug and smile shyly,

Looking into our food.

 

"I just wanted to say thank you for

Making the trip down here and

Helping out. You have no idea what

It means to all of us. You've all done

She beams at us.

 

I want to tell her that we're

Only in for a few days, and this really

Isn't a giant dent in the work that

Other people are doing, that we're

Not the real heroes and-and-and

 

Suddenly I think to myself:

She's talking to us, you idiot.

She really means it. You're a

Nobody knows what to say.

Her smile is infectious.

We smile back.

 

All of us secretly wish we could

Leave our other lives behind

So we can perpetually help out

And never go home