Family speaks with a grief-stricken eternal voice. It never ends. It ends when I end.

The bright smile slides down, the stare of mortal tears fall from a hidden window.

I want to connect. I want the immediacy of being here now.

I want the pain of missing someone long before the pain of loss.

Remove the veil of propriety. We’re not saving for progeny.

Be present now, dammit. Feel the pain and joy, now.