A short story

A short story

Diapers—oooo-yuck!
Three children—seven, one, newborn
A little mother with the baby boys
Helping Mom
Mom helping Dad with the business
Keeping house year after year
“Are we there yet?”
Kids squabbling
Put the older one in the middle
Sometimes that works

Decades pass
The house has new neighbors
Not so much in the country anymore
Building a new house next door
Mom and Dad excited

Dad’s health failing
Business doing well with son
Dad still goes in
Reads the news
Watches the birds

Dad has died
All alone, big house
Memories all about
Pictures on the walls
Grandchildren give her pride
Children’s squabble mellower

Gifts she knows they do not need
Each birthday and Christmas
“Will I have enough?”
“Ma, there’s enough”
“I love to give the gifts
I love to give myself”

In my Will my gifts fit each one
And each one has all my heart
How is this possible?

Now Mom is gone
The inheritance tax return
Tells all but tells nothing
It tells a short story
The real wealth is not counted here
And yet, if you listen closely, you hear—

Bedtime stories, books read aloud
Dolls dressed, tea parties attended
Attended well
Ouchies kissed
Laughter, love
Still flowing, flowing

In this brief tax report
All of it echoes
Echoes

:- Doug.

Published in: Conversations | on October 27th, 2008 | No Comments »

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