I arrive with cups of juice, straws
the young girls, sisters,
receive the juice silently
it is not what they want
after school they need their mother to be waiting to meet them
with juice boxes and snacks
she is gone
little girl, 7
looks at me
her pink cheeked face
with such dark, sad eyes
I'm so sorry about your mother
I know she loved you
I can't say anything aloud
but when I smile, I try to hold hope, endurance, levity in my eyes
so when she reaches out to take the cup
the smooth curve of the cup
will fill her hand
it will not close on emptiness
