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Wither Away

saw my mother today
am getting used to seeing her sleeping

called hours before I came over
“sure, we should be here,” my sister said
“she’s napping now”
so she should be awake when I got there

and they had game shows on
one called Lingo, I think
and mom’s eyes were opening
and closing
over and over again

she should be feeling better now, I think
she should be on the road
to getting home
and feeling more at peace with her life

I gestured to say good bye today
told mom that I didn’t know if she’d be leaving
to go back home before this weekend
so this is the last chance I might see her

but I could visit her at home
if that’s okay with her

and she said
“I don’t want you to me me wither away”
and I said,
“mom,
we want to see you,
we love you”
and I kissed her arm
and her forehead

and I did my best to not cry

wither away, she says
even if I see her for weeks
months
years
lying on the couch
falling in and out of sleep
my memories of her will not wither away
the things she has given me
will not wither away
and my love for her will not wither away

it won’t
I promise


Copyright © 2006 Janet Kuypers.

U.S. Government Copyright © 2004
Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers
on all art and all writings on this site completed
before 6/6/04. All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.


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