Visitations

Photo: Natascha Graham

Allan Lake

I think of her when certain refrains ...
Her spirit managed to survive windy, 
wintry Canadian prairie, my family, 
mad migrations and my infidelity, 
almost.

Counsellors had been our kids
not long before whole broke in half.
Everyone says they’ve forgiven every-
one but someone has not forgiven some-
one and years later still feels her 
absence.

Philosophy cannot erase, sweeten this.
I visit the brink and tears tip if I hear 
one song from our long-gone long-
play records that went to a daughter 
who speaks lovingly to both of us,
separately.