October 12, 2011 -- Part 1

October 12, 2011  

Midweek  

Mid-afternoon  

Head in the clouds  

Four birthdays past  

Four more to come  

Including mine  

And my anniversary  

Shall I make a Black Forest Cake?  

Of course!  

Then come   

The holidays  

Will my brother come down 

To South Carolina 

For Thanksgiving or Christmas    

This year?    

Phone rings  

Nerves jangle  

“Hello” I snap  

As my name is mangled  

“Yes, I’m Karen”  

My patience is at an end  

Useless “no-call” list  

But this is no  

Sales call  

My brother  

Was found   

Unconscious   

In his neighbor’s yard  

A scrap of paper  

In his hand  

With my name and number   

On it  

He’s in  

Bad shape  

The neighbor tells me  

The ambulance is on its way  

But he may not make it  

It’s probably   

Too late  

I babble  

I can’t think  

I ask the same question  

Over and over  

But it is the question  

That no one can answer  

Why?  Why?  

October 13, 2011 -- Midnight

Suitcase

Open

And empty

What do you wear

To plan a funeral

Or to cheer up

A hospitalized

Person?

October 13, 2011 -- Later  

In the car  

Cradling a mug  

Of coffee   

So strong   

It hurts  

It’s two a.m.  

Miles ahead  

Are black --  

Black as the  

Too strong   

Coffee  

  

We try to talk  

My sister and I  

I ask about  

Her job  

Her husband  

Her life  

  

She responds  

And asks about  

My son    

My husband  

My life  

But one question  

Keeps coming up  

Why?  Why?  

Both of us   

Are wrapped in our   

Worry and fear and guilt  

That we dare not voice  

Because the tears  

Will start  

And    

Not end  

So we stare  

At the uncertain road  

Ahead of us  

And pretend   

To listen   

To the tunes on the   

I-Pod