mama , singing in my new bass flute seeing her propped like a doll against the arm rest looking like death warmed over since her face is ashen pale compared to her usual sun-tanned healthy complexion while her right leg props on like an ant hill over three sets of bed pillows as she tenderly hugs a steaming cup of hot liquid at her throat then she slowly blinks open her eyelashes looking at me , parting her mouth like a dying fish .