Memorial Day. Which of course makes her wonder if a year from now there will be people visiting her grave. Placing stones or flowers. They've decided they want to be buried in Rhode Island, because his family is larger, because she's closer to his family. His father sends them a photo of himself standing by where his wife is buried, showing the two plots next to it: theirs. They haven't told her father yet.
They haven't told her father about being sick, or about the hospital.
Memorial Day. In 1991, just before her one other major surgery, they decided to go to Washington for the weekend. Originally thought they'd drive down, then decided to take a train, then decided to take an earlier train home. Temperatures in the nineties. The weekend from hell.
Ten years later, after the first breast cancer, they decided on a trip to Nova Scotia. Another hellish journey. But nothing so frightening as this next trip across town. Or his coming back from there, alone.
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"Because counting backwards makes the time pass quicker."(Backwards Bush Website)
"Countdown the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the National Nightmare of George W. Bush's reign is over. As bad as it gets with war, deficits, injustice and just downright international embarrassment, at least the end is in sight."(National Nightmare Website)
BECAUSE THE POLITICAL IS PERSONAL
About Me
- Rochelle Ratner
- New York, New York, United States
- Rochelle Ratner is a poet, novelist, critic, and editor. More information and links to her writing on the Internet can be found on her homepage: www.rochelleratner.com.
Toast Soldiers
Rochelle Ratner's political prose poems