I guess somewhere deep inside,
I know one day will have to be
the last,
but it isn’t real yet-
you know?
You’ll be there at graduation-
no doubt-
to send me off to college,
to twirl me at
my wedding
and surely you’ll see
your first grandchild.
But as you’re sitting there
at the kitchen table
staring at the seeds in
your fried eggplants
I can already see you 
growing dimmer

Mommy,
please stay a little longer