Family Portrait

"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."

--Dr. Seuss

Once a mother
took a shower
when her kids
were napping.
A small decision,
a small investment,
like cleaning out
the closets or
vacuuming the stairs.

The universe, shocked
at her presumption,
inspired her four-year-old
son to climb
to heaven.  Later
she found him
hanging from
the blinds' cord,
her son's last
struggle silenced
by her last
serene shower.

Life support
let him linger
for their last
family portrait,
taken by a fighter-pilot
friend.  The heart
monitor ticked away
the last seconds
of life.
The warrior's hand
shuddered
at their brave smiles.

(c)Amanda Rooker          2010