Name: Class:

Nursing Home
By Hayes Davis
2016

Hayes Davis is a writer whose first book of poetry “Let Our Eyes Linger,” explores themes of family. In the
following poem from the book, a speaker describes visiting their grandmother at a nursing home. As you
read, take notes on how the speaker describes their grandmother’s illness.

[1] Mommy De recognizes my diploma.

Her smile reaches her eyes, she parts her lips,

and mumbles a string of words her mind

has tried to sort into a sentence—she’s almost as
happy

[5] about my degree as she was when I walked in the

room.
I think of the day my mother received her
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Master’s

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from Penn , and I’m glad that my grandmother
could speak her joy clearly then. As pleased as I
am

3
that she can spill messy, jubilant recognition
[10] when I come to visit, I feel a little guilty that mom

has to call herself “Bethy,” to answer the

inevitable
4
“Who are you,” coax a smile of semi-memory.

The fact that Mommy De recalls my face, if not

my name
makes me uneasy when I think of my uncle
"Last station nursing home" by Ulrich Joho is licensed under CC
Conrad BY-SA 2.0.

[15] who is never “Henry,” “brother,” or another alias

used to mask the disease, just a man with a beard

who never stays for as long as he has driven to visit.

Even my aunt Annette, who shares that name with her mother,

1. a postgraduate degree
2. an abbreviation for Pennsylvania, usually meant to refer to the University of Pennsylvania
3. Jubilant (adjective): feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph
4. Coax (verb): to use gradual persuasion to obtain something from someone

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 lives in the same city and visits more often than me
[20] is never someone Mommy De knows on sight.

I put my diploma away, produce graduation pictures

hesitantly, reluctant to identify three children to their mother.

“Nursing Home” from Let Our Eyes Linger by Hayes Davis. Copyright © 2016 by Hayes Davis. Used by permission of Poetry Mutual Press. All
rights reserved.

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the theme of the poem?

A. Age and illness have the ability to affect our most cherished moments.
B. People often grow resentful of older family members as they age and change.
C. It is impossible to continue to face someone when they no longer know or love
you.
D. No matter how much someone forgets, they always remember those they love.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to part A?
A. “she’s almost as happy / about my degree as she was when I walked in the
room.” (Lines 4-5)
B. “Mommy De recognizes my diploma. / Her smile reaches her eyes, she parts her
lips,” (Lines 1-2)
C. “I feel a little guilty that mom / has to call herself ‘Bethy,’ to answer the inevitable
/ ‘Who are you,’ coax a smile of semi-memory.” (Lines 10-12)
D. “Even my aunt Annette, who shares that name with her mother, / lives in the
same city and visits more often than me” (Lines 18-19)

3. What does the quote “and mumbles a string of words her mind / has tried to sort into a
sentence” suggest about Mommy De (Lines 3-4)?
A. She is still able to convey her thoughts clearly.
B. She has a difficult time articulating her thoughts.
C. She is longer able to speak in a complete sentence.
D. She has not spoken to anyone in a long time.

4. How does Mommy De’s failing memory most affect the speaker?
A. They feel uncomfortable that Mommy De remembers them but not the rest of
the family.
B. They feel relieved that they don’t have to re-introduce themselves to Mommy De
every time they visit.
C. They feel satisfied that out of all the family members, Mommy De is able to
recognize them.
D. They feel nervous that Mommy De’s memory will continue to get worse, and
eventually she won’t remember anyone.

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5. How are the details about aunt Annette important to the development of the poem’s
theme?

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the context of the text, what makes a family? How are the relationships of the speaker’s
family impacted by Mommy De’s memory loss? Has a family member of yours ever
struggled with illness? How did it affect you and your family?

2. In your experience, what does it mean to grow up? How do you think the speaker in the
poem manages the memory loss his grandmother is experiencing? In what ways have you
had to grow up in your relationship with friends and family members? Cite evidence from
this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.