Update #2

 

 

 

In the waiting days before Mom came home,
I found a familiar rest in her rooms
as if I was not a visitor, but
a nestling again, serene, secure, and whole.
Even alone at night, I felt cradled.
Even five hours north of my own home,
I felt at home and not an intruder.
I told Mom’s cat, “We can stay together.
It’s not a stretch to move in with my mom
as need arises.”  And then Mom came home.
She welcomed round-the-clock care for 10 days
while she got her feet back, and then began
to feel crowded. I watched her house and she
reach for each other, I felt her cat’s cold
shoulder, and heard sharper questions about
who moved what and why.  I returned home,
humbled, sure again that her nest was hers
and my nest was mine.  At what age do we
stop wanting independence?  In my own
home, cat leaning on my legs, repainting
them with her scent, I know the answer is
never.  Someday, I may have to insist
on assisting, or help her to move.  Someday
I will need someone to do that for me.
Until those days come, I’ll enjoy the nests
we build for our adult selves, not nestling 

nor child, but one at home within herself.

Update #1 is HERE.

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright.

© 2023 Susan L. Chast