They were not solemn.
They were not scared.
They had seen this sort of thing
again and again
and again
and didn’t seem worried at all
about how it was proceeding.

Unconcerned,
they joked in our presence
and I felt quietly relieved.
If they treated it so cavalierly,
how serious could it be?

And maybe it wasn’t serious then.
Maybe it was all under control
and something happened later
that flipped the script.
Maybe their demeanor
provided an accurate view
as to the state of things.

Maybe they did everything
they could to alleviate anxiety
and improve the situation.
Or maybe they were just assholes

but
they remained calm
collected
and cool as cucumbers
while before them
my father became a vegetable.