Smiling while listening to the plurbling, blurbling stream
winding gently below me on the metal, see-through bridge
Looking up to the left as a black crow yaw-caws its
way over the field of faded golden cornstalks
Glancing to the right, suddenly noticing the hefty rain clouds
flying, swooping over fields and villages…towards me
on April Fool’s Day my sister called with a really bad joke
said Dad has liver cancer
my sister cried, though, so it’s no joke
six to twelve months predicted regardless of what they do
while leaving the hospital
Dad saw two bins standing together
one for recyclable trash and one for trash trash
he said, “Next week I’ll know if I end up in the recycled or the trash”
and he laughed
my sister choked, but forced herself to laugh with him
with a Dad who thrives on being kind to our Mom and to everyone else
well, I guess God gave time to get his house in order
to accomplish a want to do list
and I have time to relish every remaining second and to say goodbye
but it’s excruciating losing a beloved, faithful, kind friend
besides Mom and my sister, the only “long-term” friend I’ve ever had
Prose Me 