FRESH

FRESH

Fresh fruit

Fresh vegetables

Fresh flowers

Fresh sheets…

My mother called yesterday

“What are you doing?” she asked

Her voice hoarse, of course

When you are 89 years old coughs don’t just linger, wickedly taking away your voice. Sometimes they stay for the rest of your life.

“Laundry.” Was my reply

“You are always doing laundry,” she stated.

Less hoarse

More aware

Of me

Wasting water

Wasting away

Folding fresh sheets once again.

“You create work” she went on “changing sheets every couple of days.”

When you are 89 years old the children you have loved so dearly for so long can do no wrong.

She laughed as I explained…

“Oh but I love fresh sheets, Mother.”

You

C

L

I

M

B

Into bed

As your body hits the mattress you

Stretch one leg

Then the other

Your head

Finds the pillow

As you inhale you realize that

Nothing

Is igniting old thoughts

You are here

In this moment

With

Fresh

Sheets

Who can describe the feeling?

I am not even going to try

That’s what fresh sheets do to me

They take away the thoughts that stress my body and contort my heart then fuel my mind so it goes looking for more unwanted thoughts to think about.

With fresh sheets surrounding me

I rest

I reflect on nothingness

And soon

I am fast asleep

Floating peacefully

Through my dreams

About…

Fresh fruit

Fresh vegetables

Fresh flowers

Fresh sheets

And my mother calling me to ask what I am doing.