Alice is one of my favorite residents at the Mansion, she is quiet and thoughtful, she seems to be in her own world sometimes, but doesn’t miss much, and she has  a quick smile and a ready sense of humor. She has been attending my poetry workshop, and she listens carefully, but says little.

Today, I asked the group if any of them ever had dreams, dreams are good for writing poetry, I said. Alice looked at me and smiled.

She was my date on the Lake George Boat Ride last month, and it was difficult for her to navigate the boat. We held hands for much of the time.

“Do you ever dream?,” I asked. “Oh,” she said, laughing. “I wasn’t paying attention. I was petting your dog.” Sometimes, the Mansion residents can be humbling.

You can write Alice c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.