Published on: 2/21/2008
She Doesn't Know

It happened when she wasn't here
She called that week to tell
of some grand event she had just gone to
an embassy reception to celebrate the birthday
of the King of Nepal
She talked over-excitedly
Words tripping out of her mouth
Loud and rushed and heated.

She had no idea
We did not tell her
to let her live the moment
of her happy occasion
We did a good job, we
to keep the sorry news from her.

A week later the phone call came.
No better way to tell you hun,
dad died.
And in that moment, it all became clear
Happiness was only relative.
On some alternate reality,
happiness was only possible because someone else had shouldered the pain.