Ashes
She was found face down beside her bed
dead long before they kicked in the door
of the deteriorating house that reeked
of cat piss that had soaked into the
rotting planks of the bare wood floor
the plaster ceilings falling in
surrounded by mounds of detritus
boxes of odds and ends that had
been bestowed upon her by those
she had in their last days cared for
Every eye dry at the memorial service
not a single tear shed
for the mother who had decades ago
been abandoned to raise three children on her own
and had died alone
Under the full moon in the backyard of his home
he had been so proud to be able to buy
only a few months before
she’d planned to visit that same day
where she would now be a permanent guest
we transferred the ashes
mixed with the powder of pulverized bone
from the simple wooden box
into the ceramic urn I had helped him to choose
decorated with wine colored roses
fearful I was witnessing my own future
Copyright © Angela Douglas | Year Posted 2022
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