Fortune Cookies, Too
The son becomes the father
when the father passes
your obligation becomes your life
We replace the old
hardwood living room
with thick gray carpet
it’s not an accident if you allow it
Katie’s waist thins over time
stretches mark the months
Billy depended on her
make sure to caress them
when you bathe
Mother spends the day with her grandson
the sparkling boy waits
to become a man
everyone loves you, she says
His first word makes Katie
feel like a mother
his second muffled
just too obscure
The cognac is to remember him.
everything else; habits over time
never too much
just enough to keep warm.
He can’t be replaced
she screams from the bathroom
we’ll find him if it’s the last thing I do
The salt in her tears
remind me to keep her
face on my neck
when she cries
Don’t try seeing around corners
make slow wide turns
a moderate speed is key
His face blank when he sees
his younger sisters
distorted reflections of time
sometimes the experience
is neither joy nor sorrow
Katies weeps as she squeezes
and feels him all over.
make sure parts are not missing.
-Saechao
The Merced Review 