A Son Calls

A Son Calls



Just to hear his voice
Conjured up memories
Of mix and match laundry
Potato salad under summer suns
Ball games where he
Biting lip grimly
Popped out to shortstop
Homework excused away
For the non-sensical
Favourite books and tales
Rehearsed in chopping narrative
Long beyond her usual endurance
A course of study or two
Catching his fancy
That she embellished
With provocative conversation.

These flooded back
As the phone call
Played itself out.

And she forgot
The deaf resident
With the storming TV
His endless adventure shows
Down the hall
Or the woman next-door
Crying frequently
And balefully for
Nothing apparently new
Or her startling wake-ups
In confusion or panic
The bitter-sweet
Reveries of travels, tussles
Tenderness
With a soul-mate
Who was not.

Just to hear his voice
And he had almost forgot
For another weekend.

Very, very deep...so sad, estrangement from family can be.