one rock

one rock
i was told that i was found under a rock
never a wonderful story about my birth
and when I question later
was told
it's just a joke
later still
when questioned
was told that i was making a big deal
out of nothing

nothing...

i have children and would never dream
of telling them
that they were from a rock
or joke about the saying of
that phrase

but it's the rock that
i'm fond of at the moment
for they are quite different
from me and
i am the happier for it

this rock must
tend to her pebbles
write them, call them
and i am the happier for it

8:44 p.m.

it was 8:44 and she said
"i can't imagine how much you do for me"
then i told her that she really doesn't
she said that she was sorry
then she ended with
"i love you very very much"
the hard part was
i couldn't say it back
at 47 i think that i can count on fingers and toes
the amount of times that she has uttered those words
to me
i know that it was a moment of clearity for her
moments that don't come often
it may be that last time that i ever hear anything like that
it was 8:44 p.m.