She said:
“Your mom asked me
not to tell you
over the phone.
Just come home.
Ok,
but,
promise you’ll stay calm.
Are you sure?
Your father died today.
He was mowing
the lawn and he had
a heart attack.”
I couldn’t hear anything
after that
except the sound
of my youth
slamming shut
and the
mockingbird laughter
of Fate
forever silencing
my Answer Man.
fark man....right in the gut with this one...hard to get that over the phone as well...i understand why they wouldnt...one of those things that is hard to absorb...i hope this was not recent for you...if so i am sorry for your loss...
ReplyDeleteYes, this really happened, March 1, 1999. Thanks for your kind words.
DeleteI with Brian . .not sure if this really happened, or if you were just delivering us a really good poem. In case, I'm praying for you and yours. It could never hurt, anyway, to pray. :) -deb
ReplyDeleteThanks, and I will include you in my prayers as well.
DeleteIf there's anyone I can't stand anyway, it's The Answer Man.
ReplyDeleteThis Answer Man I loved, and so he is missed.
DeleteI'm sorry, Mosky.
DeleteNo matter how much time goes by, it's still raw... you have captured that fact beautifully.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is, thanks. After 13 years, the shock has subsided, but not the sadness.
DeleteDeath is a bitch slap. It took my mom June 14 and I still can't believe it.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathies. Yes, the first year, the first set of seasons and holidays is an emotional minefield.
Delete