i’m the man who’s gonna wake up next to you

slipping away, a non-starter, her leg crosses over mine,
a right sided shakedown shackle, adhesion flesh as
tough as old yellowed scotch tape sticking stuck

no escaping, a known 6:00am risk when you sleep with
a pre-advertised holy roller, twist and turner woman,
making you into an unofficial woe-man (too)

left hand grabs the lamenting instrument, the beat up iPad,
to record your enslavement, a distraction from the bladder’s
faint morn winking at you with a Cheshire grin, muffling a
chuckle, at a predicament wonderful familiar, but unresolvable

this situation, a category of life’s small measure of annoyances,
invokes the wordy title, and a write-down list of pluses and minuses,
which I’ll spare which o’witch be the longer list

poems are where you find them, under your nose,
looking out a city bus window, but sometimes like flypaper,
they just come unasked and stick to you, the separating of the skin,
like a too tight bandaid, ain’t worth the pain and freedom gained

later, share this missive and her suggestion, she will prepare an
NDA (a non-disclosure agreement)  or adopt other strategies like
pushing me out of the bed without warning when i am typing ,
to witch and to wit, reply,
ah!
another poem commissioned, and

perhaps, name change too, needed,
making love in the morning

12/14/19

Epitaph


How do you grieve the loss of a loved one?
How can you possibly be expected to carry on?
How do you cope when a loved one is hurting?
How do you cope with the loss of your Mom?


You remember the good times you spent together;
You remember the times you laughed and cried.
You remember your loved one always, forever;
You forget the fact your loved one has died.


They wouldn’t want to see you sad;
They would want to see you laugh.
They wouldn’t want you to suffer in silence;
Remember their love, for it is the best you will ever have.


So goodbye Nan,
Goodbye Mom,
Goodbye Friend,
Goodbye my loved one.


(C)2013 Aa Harvey. All Rights Reserved.

Mothers shouldn’t cry.


Hello Nan, I’m sorry I wasn’t there enough.
I miss you; God how I miss your love.
I try and try, but I just mess things up;
My heads becoming unglued, how do I carry on?


It’s all over the place, what’s forward or back?
Confusion falls all around us, what’s up with my head?
This can’t be real, come on your having a laugh;
I must be dreaming, am I still in bed?


It’s no dream, it’s the truth.  She’s dead and she’s gone;
She’s floating up above, to Heaven; her new home.
She’s been there all your life, from the moment you were born;
But she won’t be there to comfort you,
Through the grieving my Son.


Remember her best moments,
Like her cooking when you came home;
Remember the good times, not just this bad moment.
Remember the things, she taught us about life;
Remember her loving you, when you were just a child.


Always wanting the best for you,
But disappointed when we failed.
She could get angry sometimes,
But she could also make us smile.
You were like the Godfather, or Godmother of the family.
Without your guidance, where will we be?


Lost and confused, not really believing this is real;
Being forced to accept that you are not here; this is surreal.
I thought you’d live forever.  Not you; you can’t go;
Seeing all my life in an instant,
Wishing you were here for your Grandson.
Like you always have been, the permanent star.
Guiding us, leading the way for us;
Shining brightest for us all.


(C)2013 Aa Harvey. All Rights Reserved.

I was sitting on the edge of your hospital bed,
thinking about my mother, your daughter,
and whether the smile she was masking the pain with would falter;
when the jagged rhythm of your breath had altered

I jumped to my feet, and let my mother take my place
as we listened to gasps of breath change the pace.
The nurse said it was normal that you couldn't feel any pain
but it was the sound of your death that I was scared we'd retain

I stood in the corner watching my uncle and mother create a wall with their figures,
as if them looking away would put a hand on the trigger

After 10 minutes your breathing got quiet, so quiet we thought you were gone
Then with the whoosh of your lungs, louder than before, it was like you were saying "so long!"
The silence replaced it, I still stood in the corner and noticed that no one had moved,

As if a moment so final needed it's minute to say goodbye to the body it used.