The Empty Nest

 

 

You miss the fledglings.

 

You miss the conversations..

the banter

the tirades.

 

You miss the worrying

You miss the fussing

 

You miss the control..

that you are there......

for them.. at all times.

That when the day ends, 

the fledglings are safe in the nest,

so that you can be at rest.

 

One has cribbed over the drudgery..

of the cooking...

of the cleaning....

 

But ask an empty-nester,

what it feels like to wake up to empty bedrooms, the ones next to theirs...

 

Ask an empty-nester

what it feels,  

when by force of  habit,

they press their knuckles..

against the fledglings door, 

 tap ..tap...

and then .. draw  away....

Call out to the child ,,,loud.. to wake him up...

...uttering the first syllable 

and mouthing the others, silently...

 

A line of salty tears

streaks the face..

 

Turning away from that door

and looking away from the next,

you know..

behind the doors 

is a silence.

 

The room will now be  tidy..spic and span..

...also.. 

empty.

As the day ends, 

 the empty - nester, 

hurts..

a heaviness settles  in the chest..

while  encountering  the shut doors, once again..

with  nobody to to tuck in

cuddle,

 smile at,

touch...

 

There are the video calls, oh yes!

laughter

and conversation..

Grateful for that. 

But ask an empty- nester what it feels,

to have nobody to hug..touch..

 

Yeah , the spouse is around,

as well as dear friends, who rally around you.

But the pleasure of a tight hug 

returned with an equally tight hug..

the  strong bones, 

the  taut body..

against your soft sagging one.. 

of a silent  assurance.. 

of belonging...

 

The empty-nester waits,

patiently,.

for the fledglings to return..

 

Waits to soothe

and to be soothed!