Suddenly Gone

Sudden

If it had been a heart attack, the newspaper

might have used the word massive,

as if a mountain range had opened 

inside him, but instead

it used the word suddenly,  a light coming on

in an empty room. The telephone

fell from my shoulder, a black parrot repeating

something happened, something awful

a sunday, dusky. If it had been

terminal, we could have cradled him

as he grew smaller, wiped his mouth,

said good bye. But it was sudden,

how overnight we would be orphaned

& the world become a bell we'd crawl inside

& the ringing all we'd eat.

~~by Nick Flynn