By Trisha Kc Buel Wheeldon.

“I’m so glad you were here,” one EMT says to another.
“When we got there, the tires were still spinning.”
I don’t understand what happened,
But inside the ambulance behind them,
A woman sobs.
Bless her, Father. I pray right now.
And I was on my way to buy a car seat for my unborn daughter
When I passed a crunched car, behind it
A man’s legs by the curb,
Worn jeans and brown work boots.
So my husband doesn’t ask why my eyes fill up
As my hands hold his thighs, knees, then calves
Because he thinks it is only love, not fear.
And I think of death again as I hug my son goodnight.
And I think of starvation as I push broccoli stems down the disposal.
If I’m at Disneyland spinning in a teacup,
Am I ungrateful if I’m not thanking God
That I’m not sitting in the back of an ambulance?
Or is part of gratitude just leaning into the ride
And recognizing that, right now, this is the happiest place on earth?

Trisha Kc Buel Wheeldon studied creative writing at Brigham Young University-Idaho. When she’s not wordprocessing or looking for her son and daughter’s missing shoes, Trisha watches K-dramas, practices yoga, and attempts to play a tune on her red guitar. Read more of her poetry here: www.buelwheeldon.tk