#BlogElul 2018 Day 3 Prepare

A Letter to My Mother

I’ll need a piece of paper—

I prefer paper that won’t let

ink bleed to the other side—

and a pen that writes bold

A delicate extra- fine point

with feathery writing won’t do

A comfortable place to write

with few distractions is a must

Should I pray for the right words

or just begin and let my thoughts flow 

Writing to someone who is buried

in a cemetery two thousand miles away

is one sided, but it’s the best I can do

I prepare myself by praying 

and remember how you loved 

your leopard spotted robe

and the shimmering tee-shirt

I found in a shop in Maine

I only wish I could go back

and tell you I loved you—

It was only when you had the stroke

and the nurse said to talk to you—

hearing was the last thing to go

I held your hand and told you I loved you

I don’t need a stamp