PRODIGAL for my patient friends and family…(and yes, she found him)

this morning
at a cafe on lincoln
a mother poked her head in
she’d lost her son
said he was on a bike
his brother was supposed
to watch him
she was just gone
for a moment
he had been gone
for a minute
that must’ve felt
like a month
his brother felt
like a monster
like a mountain placed
on his mind
no one but his brother
could move

that fast
everything changed
that fast

i was supposed to watch him
i was supposed to watch him
he said his words a gurgle
matching the making of a
cappuccino

i did not see him
no child on a bike
pedaled past
i did not say anything
i could not
i could have
i did not
but did not swallow
another bite of benedict
could not

did call my little brother
not so little anymore
his voice a deep roast
i’m sorry
i haven’t been around
to watch you
been gone
for a minute
much more
than a month
i feel
like a monster
with a mountain placed
on my mind
don’t know how to
move it
to move things

so fast
everything has changed
so fast