In the end, if she
was not oblivious, my
mother’s saboteur
steeped her in dementia
making death more like a cure.
Dad hugged me at ten
when his mother died; then years,
my ire, and our pride
split us so that his passing
deterred us from another.
William P. Cushing: Raised in New York by Prentice and Barbara (pictured out on the town in New York City after their wedding on April 14, 1951), Bill Cushing lived in numerous states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Returning to college later in life, he earned an MFA in writing from Goddard College. He now resides in Glendale, California with his wife and their son. His work has been in anthologies, literary journals, magazines, and newspapers. When not teaching or writing, Bill facilitates a writing workshop and performs with a musician on a project called “Notes and Letters.” Bill's submission this month is to honor his parents for enduring 50+ years of marriage and mostly him and his shenanigans.