One Hundred and Ninety Three

It was just a hi.
Your mother answered, though you answered last year, your father the year before that.
i don't remember further than that.
Your mother
(she liked me.
I remember she liked me
your sister did, too)
must've called you from upstairs
I was a bit off, this year. Fifteen minutes, to be exact.
Sorry. Life threw some curveballs.

I heard you, just loudly on the phone, a 'hi'
not a 'hello', as though you wondered who it was
as though you wanted to make sure no one hung up
no
a 'hi', with my name following swiftly.
You knew. You knew it was me. I know you knew. We know.

i've missed you.
can we get tea soon? please?
it's been too long.
We said none of these things.

I'm glad you're happy. I truly am. I want you to be.
It's all I've ever wanted for you.
be happy. be ecstatic. be joyful and loose and loving.
be loved.
be wonderful, everyday.
when someone asks you how you are reply 'wonderful'
reply 'wonderful, thank you, how are you?'



And I'm glad you'll be here, for a while.
Montreal would be different
for me
without you.
Maybe it wouldn't be Montreal
without you.

and I'll take you with me
you know?
wherever I go
I will always remember an 8pm call on 4/4.
I'll take you with me.