photo by Quin Stevenson

The moment you fell off the bed

still haunts me.

You, so little, so brittle, I should not have left you just out of reach
in the middle of our bed.

I thought you were safe, you had been doing so well with sitting up.

Watching you teeter over,

all my breath

froze

within me

as I lunged to grab you

but could not catch you

I have yet to forgive myself
and that image lingers.

You are older now and have fallen many times over

but it still hurts

to let you

fall.

on your own.

to rise

Though I know you must

Read more poems by Ernio.