L'aura del Campo

DEW #5 I don't mean to cause grief [28]

I don't mean to cause grief

When I leave,
my plants suffer,
in spite of plans to have someone water them or plans
to take them out of the window,
soak and let dry...

Some survive...

better than
my african violets
that dad kept alive for years until my sister decided
they needed to be outside in June's
burning sun.

Dead in a week,
my attic room cleaned out,
personal letters tossed and high school projects trashed,
emotionally pushed over a cliff,
no warning.

I speak soft
so my geraniums don't hear.
         they may be on their own this summer...
                   I swear I don't mean to cause them grief. It's a relief
when I come home and they've made an offering
of one last bloom.

They've survived.

I've been home
for a year now, a very long year now.
Do they suspect? Or are they like me, age 20, innocent about Death
and Life's relentless cruelty. Like them,
a survivor.

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.28] (4.april.2021)

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