Gone

20191107
#MyWritersPoetryPrompt
#PoetryByHaroldHuang

Gone

Baby cries in her cot
Mummy is in the bathroom
Just for a while
"Where has mummy gone?"
The infant's unspoken question
To himself
Anxious over mummy's absence
Uncertain whether she'll return.

Toddler cries at the door
Mummy has gone to the market
Just for an hour
"Why is mummy gone so long?"
The toddler's repeated question
To the baby-sitter
Anxious over mummy's whereabouts
Uncertain about when she'll return

Child cries in the classroom
Mummy has gone to work
Just for the day
"Why did mummy go away?"
The child's unanswered question
To himself
Anxious and scared
Uncertain whether she'll come back for him.

An adult cries at the funeral
Mummy has gone to heaven
Leaving him alone in this world
Just for the rest of his life
"Why must she leave?"
It's an unanswered question
For everybody
Mournful and sad
Certain that she'll never return.