I heard the man on the radio
maybe at a TED talk, I donʻt know
because I tuned in randomly, driving
the day unrolling ahead all skies
and sea and blossoming trees
he was mid-program
he was talking about the dying
how we die twice:
once when we die
once when our name is spoken
aloud for the last time
he prompted us all
in the studio
and at home
and in our cars
and wherever earbuds were lodged
to, on his mark
say the name of one person
who has died
so I perked up in the car
thought: great, how wonderful to do
and then when the prompt came
I couldnʻt speak at all
my throat caught up
unable to carry you forward
still holding on tight
to my mother. Mine.
