Late and Soon

How much longer can we ignore the mushrooms?

Their shade is surprisingly matte

with no complexity. Why one is larger than another,

closer or farther apart,

I no longer think has any significance

for us

though so far we have let them live.

Part of me despises them but I can admit

they are remarkably “there”

for each other, consistent throughout

the torrential rains, while I overbear you

with new ways of telling our story.

When the dirt turns to mud, their stance

remains unchanged. I lurk in the doorway

changing my mind

even on days I don’t leave the room,

harvesting the silence

of our children at school. If  I lock

the door long enough, I hope

you will break in. Nevertheless

the mushrooms multiply

more and more now. From a distance

they are exactly what I wanted,

not an inconvenience,

but a family.  Just without me.