You’re here,
He’s here,
She’s here,
You’re all here!
No…
You are not gone
Because you can’t be.
I won’t let you,
I won’t believe it.
You, you’re at your house,
And you’re fine,
You’re probably smiling right now,
Laughing at a joke,
You’re there
And you’re fine
Because you have to be,
Because I love you.
You’ll call here,
You’ll call here any day,
And I’ll know it,
I’ll know right away it’s you
Because of how light-heartedly mom talks,
How hard she laughs,
And how she’s in a good mood,
Because of you.
Because of how much she loves you,
Her sister.
And him,
He’s at Grandma’s,
Asleep in his seat on the couch,
He probably fell asleep to his old westerns on tv,
He never sleeps early during boxing matches,
No, tonight, right now,
He’s asleep on the couch,
Glasses on a pillow beside him,
Chew and old, heavy metal, tarnished watch
On the stand next to him.
Yes, he’s asleep and tomorrow he’ll rise at dawn.
And her,
Dear Mary Jo,
She’s in her apartment,
Watching Cops on tv,
Laughing and teasing lovingly her son,
Her young, teenage boy.
She’ll brag about McKenzy’s beauty,
She’ll joke about snow cats,
She’ll smile, she’ll tease,
She’ll be there all night and the next.
She’s there, she’s there with her prized son.
All of you…
All of you are fine!
Age 16