Transitioning

my mom is on morphine now
i’m on a plane
to palm springs
i’m flying out to the desert
to be with her
to say goodbye
my dad my brother my aunt
are there now

my brother picks me up
we don’t talk much
there’s not a lot to say
i was just here
a week ago

there are palm trees
cars at stoplights
an amazon truck turning up the street
jets, crows
golf carts
cactus blossoms
trees full of grapefruits
and lemons
hummingbirds pulling nectar
from the bougainvillea
whisps of clouds
under a shining
bright blue
sky

the oxygen machine hums
and hisses
kicks its cycle through
my mom’s eyes open
when i step into the…