gooseneck faucet

This piece came from a #MastoPrompt on Mastodon for the word "neck." I'd just returned from a trip to Mom's and noticed how things are starting to fall apart more and how it's been long enough that Dad's careful thoughtfulness brought us only so far into the future he could imagine without him.

 

gooseneck faucet

before he died, dad
tried to help ease mom’s transition 
to a time without him
so he
withdrew cash 
from the ATM,
serviced the car,
built contraptions 
to keep the squirrels from the birdseed
labeled the TV remotes
with directions for operation – 
these reached their entropic 
statute of limitations long ago.
now the gooseneck faucet
in the kitchen leaks
and needs repair,
an ice storm
broke the birch branches
leaving them in a pile under
the tree. 
from a distance
i try to keep up.
in the closet dad’s ashes 
sit quietly
in a wooden box.

– steve peterson