William Michaelian: Some Mornings the Silence

Some mornings
the silence
in this house
is so profound,
I wonder
if my mother
will ever wake again.

Will I be the one
who finally opens
her bedroom door,
or will she?

Eight o’clock, nine,
ten — and yet instinct,
or something like it,
tells me it will not
end this way.

If her mind
doesn’t wake her,
her body will.

When at last I hear
her toilet flush,
I feel the strangest
sense of grief.

I feel the pain
of disappointment,
and the joy
of pure relief.

August 25, 2006