Missing You

As I sit on my mom’s old bed and my mom is sleeping on the hospice hospital bed next to me. She has not been responsive this morning.

It’s often too late
When one changes annoyance to love
I miss your Tùy Con
And Con ăn gì Mẹ ăn cái ấy
I was not happy
You made me choose
It is so much easier
To be told what to do
Instead of having to think
And act on what you think is best
But now I want to decide for you
Whatever you don’t care to do on your own
I want to see you
Sit across from me
At our kitchenette table
Just you and me
You’d ask me
If bác Đệ is still alive
Or if bác Đệ had ever visited us here
Or if I knew bác Đệ at all
You’d ask me
If Ông Bà are still alive
And if they died here or in Vietnam
And tell me how you missed them
You’d ask me
How Ba died
Was he afraid of someone or something
And why did he died so young
I already miss
Our time together
As you sleep peacefully
On the bed next to mine
I already miss
Your stubborness and your grit
Your determination
Your resourcefulness
Your strength
You were a woman on the go
And I take after you
I am happy
To be a woman on the go
Just like you