how do you answer that question?

she came to fax
not so fast
i asked
'how are you?'
noticing her new haircut and late-in-life divorce a year earlier

and she paused:



'well..i lost my sister a week ago today to breast cancer..
i don't know how to answer that question'

speaking of her cancer
mastsizing
once upon a time believing
her youngest
baby
sis
would make it
past her Stage

speaking of her mothers family
each daughter
losing a child
or two
to
too
to
dis-ease
disease...

'and how do you answer that question?'

Abbreviated sharing :
my baby-Elliot-miscarriage...
the coming-back-to-work questions
9 years ago
people meaning well to ask how you are
                           but when you wanna scream is this all there is?
                                and life can be over
                                     and my family has changed
                                        and my heart is broken
                                            how do you answer?
but honest
true
squeezing my hand with
broken eyes for her sister
she simply said 'thank you'

And I was glad I opened my heart to her.
Much love.