The tug of war
A tug of war
that never ends
children on one side
parents on the other
children growing up
pulling away
having their own lives
later
aging parents
now pulling
their end
trying to hold onto
theirs
My mother’s books
I go through
My mother’s things
now that she is gone
books and books
and more books
and the online record
she used to prevent
duplicate buying
a database of her library
pictures she added of the cover
book in her lap
I can see her legs framing it
holding it in place
and I miss her
The Asylum
My body
fizzed and hummed
with the energy
like electricity
and my hair standing on end
all over me
the energy of the place
no one there
but I could
feel them
their essence
all around
wanting me to
share their lives