The Gift by Caitlin Thomson

The Gift

My husband is ill. I am in pain always,

a large coat around me.

Joy is hard to put into words,

like how it is impossible to photograph

the weight of a small child in your arms,

the wiggle of their skin.

My husband is ill. I am in pain always,

a large coat around me.

When I talk about life, I worry

that I’ve only captured the ache of it

and not the glorious pleasure of hearing

the squeal of a child that thinks they got away

with sneaking something I wanted

them to have all along.

Caitlin Thomson’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals including: The Penn Review, The Adroit Journal, The Fiddlehead, Barrow Street, Wraparound South, and Radar Poetry.  You can learn more about her writing at www.caitlinthomson.com.