i walked in on my parents
he was on his knees
she was sitting on a stool
her nightgown was unbuttoned
loose around her hips
arms still inside the sleeves
they whispered
like strangers
the tube went from her chest
into his hands
he unscrewed the bulb
from the tube
raised the bulb
into the light
then flushed
mother’s blood
down the toilet
POETRY April 3, 2020
cancer in
Tracy Pitts is a writer, film photographer in Oregon. His works have appeared in Zyzzyva, Sand, December Magazine, Everyday Fiction, Flash Fiction Magazine, and others. Upcoming work includes photography in Hamburger Eyes, Tule Review, and The Sun Magazine.