What People Give You 4/24

My roommate's mom passed away unexpectedly six weeks ago. Tonight, our Bible study girls gave her a Storypeople print, a Snapfish photo book and some of our tears. I would do absolutely anything in the world to give her her mommy back.

What People Give You

Long-faced irises. Mums.

Pink roses and white roses

and giant sunflowers,

and hundreds of daisies.

Fruit baskets with muscular pears,

and water crackers and tiny jams

and the steady march of casseroles.

And money,

people give money these days.

Cards, of course:

the Madonna, wise

and sad just for you,

Chinese cherry blossoms,

sunsets and moonscapes,

and dragonflies for transcendence.

People stand by your sink

and offer up their pain:

Did you know I lost a baby once,

or My eldest son was killed,

or My mother died two months ago.

People are good.

They file into your cartoon house until it bows at the seams;

they give you every

blessed

thing,

everything,

except your daughter back.

-Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno