Lillian Hillman

Lillian Hillman, who celebrated her 103rd birthday on August 24, is a resident of Hoffman SummerWood, an assisted living facility in West Hartford. She wrote this poem as part of “Senior Voices: Expressing Yourself Through Poetry,”  a SummerWood poetry class led by Andy Weil.

A native of New York City, Hillman moved to Hartford with her family when she was a young girl. She graduated from Weaver High School and attended a small college in Chicago for one year, and later worked as an office manager. Married for 30 years, she is the mother of three daughters and four granddaughters. She was predeceased by her husband and her son. When she isn’t penning poetry, she also enjoys playing bridge and attending lectures.

“ I thought the piece poignant, especially coming from a perspective of having traveled so many miles here on this plane of existence,” says Weil, who submitted this poem on her behalf.

Refocus

by Lillian Hillman

Withered dreams of youth

float like lazy clouds

in a nebulous sky.

Withered years…

…memories fade;

any that linger, hinge on the past.

The past becomes the present

as you review your years

as a treasured remembrance.

Readers are invited to submit original work on a topic of their choosing to KOLOT. Submissions should be sent to judiej@jewishledger.com.