I take down the Christmas tree
At my parents’ home
It’s well past the New Year
And the fir’s needles are brittle
I learned two days ago
My mother’s cancer has returned, metastasized
I spend my days between the third-floor hospital room
And my apartment, with drop-ins at my folks’ place,
Per my father’s suggestion: mail, newspaper, collecting items
The heat has been off for a week
Christmas ashes sit still in the fireplace
One by one, I transfer crystal ornaments
From branch to box
I collect happy tinsel from the floor
I pluck the angel from the treetop
Evergreen by Mathieu Cailler | Garden Lavender Poetry Reed Diffuser Set
Mathieu Cailler is a Pushcart Prize-winning author of seven books, including a novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His work has been featured in over 150 publications, such as Wigleaf, The Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Cailler has been awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award; a Short Story America Prize; and the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festival Prizes. You can connect with him on social media @writesfromla or visit his website at mathieucailler.com.
