Late
They are not here
yet
I practice saying it
My late mother
She would say
Your father is a stickler
He is never late
My hands stuck
This gesture
Stopped
Short
The track of time
A loss.
As a child
If I were ever late
They’d be ticked off
Tutting
Like white rabbits
They are late
They are not
here
My late mother
My late father
My late friends
I can hardly
bear the wait.