the plant

you bring your mother
a plant.
a small green
leafy
thing, portable
with soft
loose dirt. you
set a small
plastic
watering can
beside it on
her sill
where the light
streams
down from
the basement
window well. you
sit on her
empty bed
as you wait
for her to finish
what she needs
to do in
the bathroom
where someone
stands beside,
helping. her house
was full
of plants, her
garden. the flowers
in their boxes.
the kitchen.
they were everywhere.
green children,
but now down
to one.