Three Times

L.E. Duchin

The day his dog died,
the day his mother died,
and the day he told our child
he was leaving. 

These were the only times
I ever saw him cry.
No audible sob
or visible tremble.
Just wet eyelashes
and a tight frown.

He covered the dog with her blanket,
and I gathered him into my arms.
Outside his mother’s hospital room,
I could barely hold him up.
At the door, in a succinct monotone,
he told our child and then left.
He didn’t offer comfort.
He didn’t want to see our tears.
Only his tight frown and swollen lids spoke.

---

L.E. Duchin
L.E. Duchin (she/her) is a scientist passionate about writing prose. Her fiction and creative nonfiction stories have appeared in Everyday Fiction, Eucalyptus and Rose, Small Leaf Press, Medical Literary Messenger, The Mantelpiece, Written Tales, The Helix, and Steam Ticket. She is also the author/photographer of a nonfiction children's book, My Name Is Chaac, from Freedom Chaser Publishing. The story, in English and Spanish, is about the monkeys she researched. Duchin has traveled much of the world and enjoys hiking, camping, reading and dancing. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and two dogs.