she sent no word that morning when
she left him behind
she had just lost a second daughter
she wasn’t thinking clearly and
she no longer cared about herself
she only knew that
she needed to go
she took a change of clothes and their little boy
she didn’t know the way but
she followed the sun
she walked west then north then west again
she moved purposefully as
she passed the spies on their bicycles
she pretended to have papers when
she asked for directions to landmarks so
she could correct her course
she reached her destination in the afternoon and
she fell into her shocked mother’s embrace

she apologized to him later that evening when
he arrived, frantic with worry that he had guessed incorrectly

they were spared their lives and allowed to stay