I didn’t cry
When my mother died
I remember how we
Swam in the rain
At the beach
Using umbrellas in the sand
To keep our clothes dry
We laughed and laughed
In the water
But I didn’t cry
When she died
My mother had eight children
I cared for her
At her end
She would look at me
The pain clouding her eyes
And say you’re the only one
She needed more
And didn’t cry
I think of her now
And feel sad with
The missing
But I have not cried