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by Janet Thorning © 2008
It will be a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
As usual, you will sit on the porch and write poetry, while I cook lunch, roast-beef with potatoes and beans. As usual, you will holler about how vicious southern mosquitoes are and how you could get more work done in Alaska. As usual, I will be basting the beef, when the phone rings. It will be our daughter calling to complain about her husband and children. I will tell her that life is too short, and she will say, I love you mom and hang-up. As usual, I will go upstairs to change into a pretty dress for lunch. As usual, I will play a Billie Holiday record and dance naked in front of the mirror. As usual, I will laugh at myself. Then I will sit on the edge of the bed to put my stockings on. But this time, I will suddenly feel dizzy. I will lie down just to close my eyes for a moment. But I will never wake up.