by Yevgeniya Przhebelskaya

As a teenager, I dreaded my mornings
I was anxious in a new school in Moscow 
and my mom began a new job in New York City
while we both needed kindness and comfort
international calls were rare and brief

When papa and I finally immigrated to New York City
the joy of reunion turned into perseverations
of my mistakes and of my papa’s shortcomings
our mealtimes punctured by piercing diatribes 

I graduated from college and started working
I met a kind man who later became my husband
I let go of my need for my mother’s comfort
seeking fulfillment in career, marriage and church

My papa became sick during Hurricane Sandy
my mother was anxious and needed comfort
I moved back so I could care for her and for my papa
doing dishes and praying for his healing together
my mom and I became peers for the first time

As the sun shines through the windows of my apartment
I clean up breakfast, pray and play with my toddler
then I text, talk and pray with my mama
my mornings bring me comfort every day

Yevgeniya Przhebelskaya is a bilingual poet, educator and caregiver. She draws inspiration from the Bible, Russian literature, modern American poetry, and her recent parenting experiences. Yevgeniya’s poems have been published in Agape Review, Amethyst Review, Ekstasis, Trouvaille Review and many other publications, and were nominated for the Pushcart Prize two times. Check out her blog at ypoetry.weebly.com her poetry collection Ocean: Poems that is available for free at https://books2read.com/Oceanpoemsebook

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