It's Still Life

We children had so little, although we always had just enough. Absent parenting, well more like absentminded parented, but Mum and Dad did their best. Mum said it is all about setting the right examples. Her mum was an ice cube, so she was a chip off it (or chipped, or something like that). That is what she told me once – it was a rare reveal from her. I cannot remember more than three times when she gave me a proper big hug. She loved us though. Said she didn’t need to spout it because it was a given. And she cared for us, cared about us, absolutely. It is in a person’s nature to want love. If it’s missing, you will start searching for it, like a drought obsessed with water. And I was surprised every time when love started. Or ended.

 
 
note: this is not autobiographical, it’s written to a prompt at dverse poets, including a line from Jane Hirshfield’s poem “I wanted to be surprised.” Word count: 144 ©️ Misky 2020