empty nest .. revised

 

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....

to call out to the child .loud.. to wake him up...

...uttering the first syllable of their name..

and then 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!