My mother called to say

"In Germany they have a word for it: too heartbroken to carry on.
I lost the house, the horses, the rolling hills.
I lost the red kites flying overhead.
I lost Patti Smith, Buffy and my prodigal daughters."

Who curled up, curled into themselves, curled their hair
Thought about running away, red boots in the mouth of open space, sleet and rain.
But instead soaked it up like a bed of wet moss.