![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.caitlinhicks.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/Greg-cameo.jpg\" "\\"Greg")
<\/a><\/p>\nthe telephone shrill<\/p>\n
burst into our bedroom<\/p>\n
me on my back groggy<\/p>\n
leapt out leg over the edge<\/p>\n
knew<\/p>\n
have known for weeks<\/p>\n
this was going to happen very soon<\/p>\n
Young Boon’s wailing<\/p>\n
“he won’t wake up”<\/p>\n
sobbing “what should I do?”<\/p>\n
and me, the only one she could reach<\/p>\n
dumbfounded<\/p>\n
for once<\/p>\n
unable to offer advice<\/p>\n
go in there and sit next to him<\/em>,<\/p>\n i managed,<\/p>\n tell him you love him<\/em><\/p>\n he might be able to hear you.<\/em><\/p>\n The string of atoms<\/p>\n obligingly synchronized<\/p>\n the unique<\/p>\n him<\/p>\n gathered since his<\/p>\n springing into being<\/p>\n inside my mother<\/p>\n have now begun to scatter<\/p>\n to take on new identities<\/p>\n different bosses<\/p>\n to gather for and form up<\/p>\n and constitute.<\/p>\n My \u00a0heart pounds<\/p>\n his brain dead<\/p>\n his girls, 12 and 14 and 19<\/p>\n Michelle and Kristina and Jenn, numb<\/p>\n RIP Daddy, I love you, they write<\/p>\n while particles<\/p>\n which have existed<\/p>\n since unfathomable billions<\/p>\n morph<\/p>\n emotionless again.<\/p>\n Tom gave me a phone number<\/p>\n Lynn hung up on me<\/p>\n Anthony called<\/p>\n Christopher cried<\/p>\n Phillip thanked me for caring<\/p>\n Jaisan his first daughter, wise, graceful, spoke<\/p>\n Bernadette and I, we had a conversation<\/p>\n Mary left<\/p>\n I sit here<\/p>\n understanding just how much I can’t pick up the phone<\/p>\n and hear his voice.<\/p>\n Thursday he sounded so tired<\/p>\n so confused<\/p>\n he was driving his girls home from school (!)<\/p>\n when he should have been in bed<\/p>\n he soldiered on<\/p>\n like the failure of his organs<\/p>\n was a temporary<\/p>\n painful, inconvenience<\/p>\n i know he hoped<\/p>\n however well he hid it<\/p>\n that<\/p>\n someday<\/p>\n one of us<\/em><\/p>\n would \u00a0give him<\/p>\n one of our 23 kidneys<\/p>\n he’s our brother, after all<\/p>\n Easy to say,<\/p>\n I’m a Type A; he’s an O<\/p>\n we don’t all match<\/p>\n but now<\/p>\n there’s only 13 of us left<\/p>\n us kids<\/p>\n \n we let him go<\/p>\n let him<\/p>\n die<\/p>\n squandered that generous chance<\/p>\n which would have stretched us<\/p>\n stronger, closer<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n