they say when it rains it pours
and i watch from helpless floods
as my patriarchs fade into the hallways
of humid hospitals as their organs
leak into the yellowing smoke
crusted into the walls; Abuelito’s
brain is bleeding, and my father’s
heart is weak, and he says it is just
one thing after the other ever since
his mother’s cancer came to rock
the saltwater shores of our comfort,
all the ignored calls and days spent
rotting in front of screens. And all
of the sudden I am helpless again
like a child again yelling again
where did they go
where did he go
4 thoughts on "they say when it rains it pours"
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Such an impactful piece! I especially love the line ‘the saltwater shores of our comfort’.
I was coming here to say exactly the same thing! And that line is simply glorious! Fantastic write!
Powerful and poignant journey with loved ones. Beautiful poem.
I love the “came to rock” that leads into the saltwater shores. This poem is so relateable. My Mom died when I was 32, and my dad died when I was 52 — and suddenly I thought, “This is what it feels like to be an orphan.” I can relate to your poem! Thank you so much.