Family,
my sweet family,
let
me tell you what I see
Mother
who is only a mother
when
the firstborns have arrived
Brother
who is only a brother
when
he wishes to be in our lives
Sister
who is only a sister
on
days she wants to love us well
Father
is only a father
when
he has time to dwell
But
again we must gather
together
in this formal way
As
it was and always will
be
expected on such holidays
Written May 8, 2005