Jenny Beaver Billings’ poem poetry was posted here in April 2011. This powerful poem is concise and spare, but it conveys a big feeling.
Cancer
By Jenny Beaver Billings
As if we could see what they were saying,
my brother and I
pushed and shoved
watched
from the thick-paned oval window
as our mom and dad
walked up and down the driveway–
up and down, “just to chat”;
We knew something was wrong–
the phone wasn’t ringing.
That night, she came to my room
kissed me
on the forehead.
I could barely see her against
the cracked stream of hallway light.
The next morning,
she told me.
Jenny, what happpened next? You’re such a tease. Who left? 🙂
So very powerful and moving. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you, Sarah.
Jenny, your poem is filled with compassion and love.
Courage defined.