Once in a lifetime you will say goodbye
to your dad.
You will tell him you
love him
and you will go
thinking of all the next things
you must do
all the driving and
packing and
phoning and
planning and
you will forget, for a time
to think about him
but he will be there
in the back
of your mind like a stone
in your pocket
or a toothache,
or like a warm blanket,
like love you always count on,
just a piece of your
life – as you go about all the other
pieces of your life.
And then once in a lifetime
you will get a call
and a nurse will tell you your dad
has died.
And now all the pieces of your life
scatter – and you can’t pick them up,
not for a long time.
Maybe not ever.
