Lightning crashes, an old mother dies

Today, I won an office marathon

energized by my 100% focus

I pushed through obstacles and pain

triumphant

As an image of my father arrives

lying in a hospital bed

taking a bite from an imaginary food

Sick with infection, this time it’s different

The group texts begin

Maybe it’s time

The doorbell frantically calls

My kindly old neighbor pleads for strong arms

She’s locked out of her home

And her only hope is a window left open

Energized by the emergency

I find time for a meal and a hug for the baby

Then more work before saying goodbye to the nanny

We can’t be her family

She has to move on

The door closes; another opens

With the wicked energy of the day

The Invisible Underground Jungle

Maybe 25 million

invisible plants and animals in the soil under my fingernail

And all that dances in my head is the last decision I made

and 25 million invisible calculations as to whether it was the right one or what the next one might be

Meanwhile I’m decentering myself in my garden

because I was boring the second I had it all

surely there is more to learn

Meanwhile 25 million things are busier than I’ll ever be

and none of them are getting paid in dollars

yet here we all are, dancing to music I just started paying attention to

wondering if we will still ruin everything

or get a few things right

#NaPoWriMo