Hibernation

I will gather my children about me,
tell them it is now mid-October.
That they must play quietly
outside my bedroom door
until Spring.

I will ask them to refuse
all phone calls for the next six months,
parent/teacher conferences.
Explain to their father
when he returns in the evening
their mother is again dormant.

I will remind them to brush their teeth,
eat a carrot or apple at lunch.
Apologize for the unread stories at bedtime,
the soap not rinsed out of their hair.

I will explain that I retreat unwillingly
into the dark cave of my body.

As a last gesture of love I will tell them
the only thing I know for certain is
I cannot endure the sight
of another naked tree,
my god, the awful sky.

- Patricia Young

From The Mad and Beautiful Mothers by Patricia Young. Ragweed Press. Used by permission.

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