(after a night flight from Seattle)

The day was striped with joy —
Bright reunion interspersed
with times of sinking under,
giving space
for the wired attention of travel
to slide away
into insistent sleep,
from which we would emerge,
hands numb, groggy,
and rise again to energy,
remembering
that we are here
in this time of triumph
and coming back together
and steady family love
made sweeter
by the time apart —
Worth celebrating,
watching the competent backs
of our children,
now walking in comfortable harmony,
on their own but still connected,
solid in their new lives,
heading home.

©Wendy Mulhern
May 9, 2014