You know the hour is near
You feel the minutes creep
You spend the time tenderly
You have been here before
You hold her in your arms
You rock her back and forth
You feel the tears on her face
You have felt the sadness before
You have done this for decades
You are anxious for what is to come
You hate the guilt of leaving
You have regretted before
You inhale deeply, steel yourself
You look her in the eye
You say she is the best mother
You are so grateful to be hers
You smile and say don’t worry
You will talk and video chat
You assure her of normalcy
That you’ll return as soon as you can
She looks up and laughs
Says I always tell her so
She wipes the tears from her face
She too has been here before
She reminds me to be prayerful
Tells me we are so blessed
Profound words to equip us both
To part on a positive note
Till next time, Ma…love and hugs.
