Mournful Winds
by Gay Williford

How wild was the wind
that dark night when the sad news came.
Ten-year old Ben climbed into his hiding
place under the stairs–
never wanting to emerge again,
never wanting to face any tomorrow.

Mama, walking home from work
on their unlit rural dirt road,
had no warning above the wind sounds,
as the speeding car hit her
and drove on, choosing to be immune
to all the damage it had wrought.
Neighbor, Mr. Rig’s headlights discovered her corpse
and when he knocked on their door
with his terrible message–it was the
worst news young Ben had ever had to face.

After the undertaker visited,
after the body was removed,
after the huge void was realized–
Ben hid. His loud sobs were joined
by the mournful night winds outside
whose gusts seemed to want to
commiserate with and vanquish
the great sadness that had so suddenly
enveloped this home.



 

Return to: