A sons love.

A son loving his mother when life was leaving her body.

 

I watched him take off his mother's shoes

and place them with care on the floor.

I watched the tears of sorrow build

when his mother wasn’t strong anymore.

 

Her tired disfigured feet covered up

neatly in her bed.

The living room roaring with expressions

of love never said.

 

Awkwardly at the end of her blue couch

Gathering up a smile

Feeling intense empathy and sadness

Looking at a child

 

Watching him wipe her chin and then

Carefully adjusting her clothes

Slumping his shoulders down to the floor

As he tried to gain control

 

She needs more care than he can give her

Not having a choice

He begs his siblings to help at home

They silence his voice

 

The matriarch in solitary

Visits are at noon

He visits her consistently

As his guilt consumes

 

Each day he brings her smiles and ice-cream

Each day she talks a little less

Each day she stares out of her window

Each day she’s more depressed

 

One day she called him into her room

His heart simply sank

She gave him money she was saving

She kept in the bank

 

Her last act because her time was close

She needed to care

Because that is what a mother does

She is filled with fear

 

She died the day before mother’s day

Children left to mourn their mother

Painfully, the night went on and on

Her life and strength forever honored

Author's Note

This was based on true events.

Reviews

[Adrian K. Smith]

Have you found that people that have not experienced loss in this fashion, whether they were the child - parent - or the spouse/friend of the child, have some difficulty in relating and getting it is as much as those that have? I think of the passing of my mother. I think of when the ex's stepfather had a heart attack. I remember how my dad was when my grandmother died. It captures most of it very well, but it may just be me (and the person that I am) - it seems like it is missing the anger. Perhaps it was too soon for the anger or perhaps there simply was no place for anger in this.

edit: I wanted to add something that I thought about while I as off having a smoke and thinking it too early to have a drink. Of course the anger would have been there. It would be foolish to think otherwise. However, the anger would not have been "here" in the interaction between the mother and son. He would not have allowed it to be. That realization adds to the strength of this work.

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

Such a sad heartbreaking write. Thank you for sharing. Debileah