But Now New
for a few fumbling
minutes I listened to
him breathe last and
tried to find comfort
shuffling through pages
standing sitting missing
the punctuation of time
in other minutes of
reverie and slumber
I heard his voice
again but
minutes hours
days drifted
forward and
daily duties numbed
the sound and memory
and the harmony of heaven.
But now new
life grows
and learns and
playing crying giggling,
I hear his sounds and see
his face again.
He would have
smiled warmed
this life
in his arms
and thrilled
at her sounds.
minutes I listened to
him breathe last and
tried to find comfort
shuffling through pages
standing sitting missing
the punctuation of time
in other minutes of
reverie and slumber
I heard his voice
again but
minutes hours
days drifted
forward and
daily duties numbed
the sound and memory
and the harmony of heaven.
But now new
life grows
and learns and
playing crying giggling,
I hear his sounds and see
his face again.
He would have
smiled warmed
this life
in his arms
and thrilled
at her sounds.
Preschool Zoom School
Hi, welcome everyone to today’s
hour of chaos. Remember
to keep yourself on mute. Please
keep yourself on mute. Would
you mind turning yourself on
mute. Thanks so much Julie.
Oh, Julie is your mom’s
name. Julie would you mind changing
the name on your screen to your
son’s name. Oh, it’s your daughter
Jamie. Ping, Ping, Okay boys and
girls, we have a few more friends logging
into school right now. Let’s wait for them
to change their names, and
possibly the future
hour of chaos. Remember
to keep yourself on mute. Please
keep yourself on mute. Would
you mind turning yourself on
mute. Thanks so much Julie.
Oh, Julie is your mom’s
name. Julie would you mind changing
the name on your screen to your
son’s name. Oh, it’s your daughter
Jamie. Ping, Ping, Okay boys and
girls, we have a few more friends logging
into school right now. Let’s wait for them
to change their names, and
possibly the future
Berniece Alspach has been a professor at California Baptist University for sixteen years, teaching first-year writing, literature, and creative writing. She grew up in the blue-collar burbs of Chicago, IL, but migrated to Florida after high school and then California in 2004. She has lived in Riverside, Fontana, Oceanside, and Murrieta at various times in the last nineteen years. She would be happy to tell you that Southern California is home.
Inlandia 