Family Laughter

My coworker burst into laughter hanging up the phone

That gut bursting heavenly release laughter then bends a body

To unhinge the human construct for an instance and announce

I have been seen; I have been heard

Every night she goes home to take care of her octogenarian mother

Across the street in the house she grew up in with six sisters

Cinderella is put to task bathing, feeding, and monitoring the intestinal processing

Of the collective’s mother

The father deceased through multiple sclerosis a decade before

Concentrated dependency formed like a leaden anchor

Slowing compressing the daughter’s time available to function outside

The auspices of full time job and duty

As the body of mother declines the adult diapers and stool relaxers take hold

Bow has broken as limbs approach not being able to walk

The depression medication has started hallucinations

Mother has gone wandering

For three days Cinderella has gone on a strike

Siblings even those retired must bear weight

A phone call explosion cackle

Mother is shitting across the living room

Daughter cannot hang onto the speaking device

As the feces is on her hand and mommy has burst a ball of empathy

Into the universe like a lick of god

Now they know, now they now

That beautiful circular swipe of fingers swaddled in a moist toilette

Of parent and child exchanging roles in the maintenance of an anus

And cleaning carpet