Jackie was connecting track
\non his train.
\nI stood in the doorway.
\nWhat time was it?
\nHe was busy and I was leaving.
\nHe looked up.
\nHis little hands held the track
\nbut they were still.
\n\u201cI love you Papa,\u201d he said,
\n\u201cI don\u2019t want you to die.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a derailment in my heart!
\nI stared at my engineer, stunned.
\n\u201cI love you Jackie,\u201d I said carefully,
\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to die.\u201d
\nHe smiled at the track
\nand fitted the piece.
\nI didn\u2019t move.
\nWhere had death entered?
\nWhat did Jackie know that I didn\u2019t?<\/p>\n
Where did this come from?
\n\u201cDo plants die?\u201d was the question
\ndays before, watching winter outside,
\nand I answered,
\n\u201cThey go to sleep Jackie,
\nand come back in the spring.\u201d
\nAnd he smiled.
\nWe left the window then,
\nand played.
\nThat was days before.<\/p>\n
Did Jackie see winter
\ncoming inside me?
\nDid he understand fate?
\nDo angels cry when God is with them?
\nI kissed him with a cheerful hug.
\n\u201cPapa will be back,\u201d I said, and left.
\nNovember entered my lungs.
\nI felt winter coming inside me,
\nand said,
\n\u201cYou\u2019ll have to wait,
\nI\u2019m evergreen.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jackie was connecting track on his train. I stood in the doorway. What time was it? He was busy and I was leaving. He looked…<\/p>\n