A Mourning Dove has landed
in the barren Hawthorne tree.
My mother is gone –
finally.
After two years of repeated strokes
and the inevitable paralysis,
She is released.
It seems that it is harder
to get off this planet
than to get in…
I cry with relief.
What a long painful sentence
she has served these last few months…
A party girl
with no parties to attend
is a sad fate.
I put on some Hawaiian music,
light three sticks of incense,
ring the bell 84 times…
I dance my best remembered
combination of hula, modern, and free form…
Around the house
I open up all the drapes and windows,
and stand outside in my bare feet and nightgown,
breathing in the cold morning air
as I watch the day begin.
My fish are swimming in their outside tanks,
a few flowers hold on to hope for Spring.
My little dog follows me
wanting comfort to give or receive.
She gently licks my face and chin
where the tears have fallen.
She is an empath
when it comes to human needs or sorrows…
I vow to dedicate my two remaining decades
to living a full and loving life:
I will bed my husband,
eat sushi, and drink champagne.
I will laugh and sing,
and devour Nature’s beauty
with my mind and soul.
I will not waste one moment of regret
on this wonder of life
here on Earth.
(First published 2/10/13)
