My mother said, Nana
is sick.
I said nothing.
She said Nana
had a stroke last night.
I said nothing.
She said Nana is in
the hospital, dying.
I said nothing.
She said Nana is in a coma.
I said with my eyes stiff my heart numb,
nothing.
She said, she would want you to come
and see her one last time.
I said
nothing.
She lowered herself to my child
eye level, looked into my shocked face
into my blank mind at my short gasps
for air, said nothing.
I looked right into the white of her eyes.
She began to cry.
I said nothing
I wish I had said something.
There was nothing to say.
is sick.
I said nothing.
She said Nana
had a stroke last night.
I said nothing.
She said Nana is in
the hospital, dying.
I said nothing.
She said Nana is in a coma.
I said with my eyes stiff my heart numb,
nothing.
She said, she would want you to come
and see her one last time.
I said
nothing.
She lowered herself to my child
eye level, looked into my shocked face
into my blank mind at my short gasps
for air, said nothing.
I looked right into the white of her eyes.
She began to cry.
I said nothing
I wish I had said something.
There was nothing to say.
This piece has been published in Teen Ink’s monthly print magazine.



Join the Discussion
This article has 2 comments. Post your own!