Mommy, Mommy

Mommy, Mommy

“Mommy, Mommy,

what am i supposed to do now ?”

these were the words

of my 19 year old daughter

as she threw her body

across that

of her Mother’s lifeless form

i the Father

had no words

for i have never heard

such anguish before

i was helpless

and i offered no viable contest

to her pain

on one hand

i was happy

the suffering was over

but a new path

of emotional discordance

opened up before us all

damn that cancer

she was but a shadow

of the woman she used to be

but yet

she was now free

while we became the enslaved

haunted by the memories

of laughter

birthdays

Christmas

and children being born

there were eight of them

and now the scorn of life

has stolen their rife of joy

why did this have to be

what had the children done

to deserve this

excise-ment of their bliss

no more would they kiss

save in their dreams

the lips of Mother

from nineteen

down to four

and none of them know

what death is for

God did not explain

their pain

and i had no words

just tears

and queer little questions

like . . .

“what the fuck”

God . . .

brought this kind of luck

God . . .

to the lives of my children

God . . .

and me

God . . .

for all i still hear

God . . .

wafting through the air

God . . .

of my Soul . . . is

“Mommy, Mommy,

what am i supposed to do now ?”

Mommy, Mommy

(c) 21 November 2011 : William S. Peters, Sr.