NaPM April 3 2014

[Truerenigma]

Helping my mother move out of the family home

Two flights of stairs
And who'd have thought she'd bother
Moving after all these years, "without your father
I just don't need the space and there's
The lawn, the boiler, keeping up on stuff."

I've got the heavy end, her old couch friction-burns
My palms as my brother
Guides around the turns
Then two more trips - 2 lamps an "antique plate",

My mother whispers through the psalms
(She got it down at Kmart for $1.88)
Until my brother cries -enough-

My mother calms
"Take a break, after all it's hot"
On the concrete stoop we drink a beer
And stare at ants as they march around the gate

She told me once - an ant can lift 10 times his weight
But that's OK, they don't look like they weigh a lot.

I'll be repeating that last line next time someone mentions the strength of ants.