sacred time

may I wake up to in the morning

to the sound of my brother

laughing in my mother's arms

they are dancing to the coffee song

(that's what he calls it)

tonight we'll chase fireflies

it is the year of the cicadas

and the summer of mosquitos

we'll get out the citronella candles

and the tealights for dinner

my dad is coming home today

we'll eat dinner on the deck

at my grandparents house

corn on the cob, off the cob

steak and dessert - always

there is a sister and a daughter

I hug her tightly and she smiles

with some of her teeth missing

she still has a birthmark

on her forehead but it's faded

this time is sacred, I linger before I leave

and it is the only thing that heals me