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so I’m staying in the house with dad now
and I remember, because the bed
so it’s a rule at this house,
so it’s my second day here with dad alone
even if mom isn’t around to tell me anymore
and I remembered this morning
but as they got older, dad had trouble
so, when dad was walking though the house today
and he walked into his bedroom with me,
so we lifted both fitted sheet corners
then dad said,
and he walked out of his bedroom
and
and I know he can’t be alone
excuse me,
U.S. Government Copyright © 2004
Making the Bed
Janet Kuypers, 09/08/06 #2
for maybe two weeks, to make sure he’s okay
to make sure he’s not alone
the first eighteen days
after mom died
in the kid’s room,
when the door was open,
faced the entranceway to their house
so anyone coming over
would see if our bed was made or not
make you bed before you leave your room
every morning
you know, so the house doesn’t look so messy
and I make my bed, and I’m sure
he doesn’t really care, but
it’s something you really should do here
that mom would always make their bed
after dad left in the morning
she had a system down
for making their king sized bed
sleeping on his back all night
so at a local rummage sale, mom bought
one of those twin-sized hospital beds
where you can control the inclination
of your back for a restful night’s sleep
you know, so dad could sleep
sitting up a bit more, and mom
could still rest on the twin-sized bed
right next to him
I asked him,
I know mom usually does this,
but would you want your bed made?
showed how he has an egg carton mattress
under his sheets on his hospital bed,
and said that the fitted sheets often pull
out from the top of the bed, you know,
probably because the bed is always inclined
when he sleeps
on his bed
and pulled the egg carton pad up
as high as we could
then put the sheet back on
you don’t have to do much more,
if you want to pull the sheets and blankets up,
that’s your call
and I started to pull the sheets up
on his side of the bed,
noticed that they tugged on mom’s twin bed
at his bed side
then I pulled the blanket up
and had to walk around
to mom’s side of the bed
the left side, the same way
I sleep with my husband
to pull the blankets up evenly,
to fix her two pillows
resting on her side of the bed
and I know he’d never want to
remove mom’s twin bed,
or even remove mom’s pillows
from her side of the bed
but
but it’s just hard
to see so many reminders of mom’s existence
in places you wouldn’t expect to look
I have to dry my tears now
Copyright © 2006 Janet Kuypers.
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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