Last Sigh

A wooden flute, I glimpsed among my mother’s treasured keepsakes in childhood.  being curious, asked her once… I didn’t notice anyone playing the flute!  Why it seemed the most precious than everything else she cherished!  Hers was the saddest smile when she told me about her brother, who played the flute when she sang,   passing away from tuberculosis, in his twenties .. the implacable separation from her most loved one.. the two efflorescent roses on the same branch…  one fell and perished, when it could have blossomed and  charmed the earth with its fragrance!  When my mother passed away,  she asked me to bring the flute,  couldn’t believe my eyes ..how much comfort it brought to her,  touching and caressing that musical instrument with her fragile fingers… and her last sigh was peaceful!  September 5, 2021 "This Or That - Vol. 6 " Poetry Contest Sponsor: Edward Ibeh