When I was a kid
A growly teen
Exhausted, I hated your snore
Squashed together in the bow
On overnight sail trips                         

“YOU married her, for better or worse, YOU sleep with her!”
Thus relieved, I slept with my brothers in the middle cabin

At this moment by your death bed
As a grown woman
Scribbling in a journal
I’m happy to hear you breathe

© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2024)