What
What
It’s the questions of the dead
that stop
my throat.
“Tell me, are my mom and dad
still living?”
the calls almost
to prayer;
“I tried to get Daddy to help me,
but he didn’t hear; I don’t know where
he was–”
“They’re gone, right?” Pause. “Long gone?”
I say, yes,
softly.
******************
For Real Toads open link. I’m not sure pic fits, but mine; all rights reserved.
Explore posts in the same categories: drawings, poetry, Uncategorized
Tags: how we age, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, what we talk about when we talk about love
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ManicDDaily 
June 6, 2017 at 9:20 pm
It’s hard sometimes to care for an older person. My beagle, Adi, and I were a certified “pet therapy team”. Weekly we visited in the Alzheimer’s wing of an assisted living home. Those residents loved Adi’s coming and Adi loved ‘visiting’ with them.
..
June 6, 2017 at 9:23 pm
A note, I had in mind a rainbow being fairly close in. Way before Kansas. I will try to sense how far away others perceive it to be.
..
June 6, 2017 at 9:26 pm
Thank you for letting me know of a reader situation that I hadn’t planned. I appreciate your help .
..
June 6, 2017 at 11:43 pm
This reminds me when my mother asked this… she is fading away even further now…. heartbreaking
June 7, 2017 at 4:34 am
Lost the first comment — Poetry is best for attenuating the voices of the dead. OK, better at. (You might find better shading in your drawings.) For this reader, it was the voice of a dead inner child here, the one still trying to understand the losses of a life. I hear my kid voice asking what happened to my brother, who too is “long gone.” Great to read you here, Karin.
June 7, 2017 at 5:58 am
Thanks for your comment, Brendan, and for persisting. The first title of this was actually, “still, the child” but it felt a little querulous. Not sure about this title though! Maybe too innocuous! Thanks again. K.
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June 7, 2017 at 6:42 am
Powerful piece!
June 7, 2017 at 10:39 am
Wow! Karin, this tugs at the heartstrings… and your pictures is perfect. It stirs the emotions.
June 7, 2017 at 12:19 pm
Thank you, Kerry.
June 7, 2017 at 1:16 pm
Oh, that ending …
June 7, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Makes me think of my grandmother’s last days.
June 8, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Thanks
June 8, 2017 at 2:11 am
luminous and heartbreaking, K ~
June 8, 2017 at 6:12 am
Thanks. k.