mother

when my mother calls

she starts with a series of questions

she asks in succession

i wait for the last one asked

and that’s the one i answer

she calls on sundays

sometimes she texts instead

a long list of questions

How are you?

Do anything this weekend?

Got any plans?

How’s the dog?

How’s work?

and i choose which ones to answer after

staring at the list for longer than i should need to

even responding to my mother’s weekly text is too much for me

but it’s better than when she calls

because she knows my voice too well

and the questions quickly change to

Are you okay?

What’s wrong?

Are you sick?

Did something happen?

and if i don’t answer just right

i hear my mom turn into a volunteer at the suicide hotline

and she says all the things you’re supposed to say so that
someone feels loved and cared for