Mother’s Day
This morning
I woke up
and
I didn’t think of you.
I started to
Do some other things, I don’t remember
But then Emily
Opened the wide white blinds on our
Big rectangle window
And the sunshine
That’s what reminded me of
You, the Saturday mornings when
you would have us do housework
You wore slippers and
you turned on the CD player
You told us to
sweep the kitchen.
This morning
I didn’t think
I was thinking of you.
My friends ask me about my mom
I smile
I tell them
you can sing beautifully.
This morning
I opened a yellow can
Of syrup and peaches
I stabbed them with a fork
For breakfast
I told Em
You would sometimes eat peaches
With cottage cheese for breakfast.
Last night I wore
that turquoise necklace
It was yours and I took it
I looked in my closet this morning
I saw dresses you have brought me over the semester
That I have not worn
once, silly mom,
I only wear what you don’t want me to wear
like that turquoise necklace
I hope you don’t miss it;
I’ll be home soon to give it back.
This morning I didn’t think
I was thinking
Of you.
Tonight he told me,
“I really wanted to meet your mom last night!”
I breathed a moment of being much too hopeful
About what that comment could imply
But I drummed up a response
About how you had to go home
It was a late night
He had friends he was talking to and I
Didn’t want to interrupt him
How was I supposed to know he wanted to meet you?
But what I said was,
“I wanted you to meet her too!”
Because I did.
In fact
I was looking for him
So that I could introduce him
to you
Because I like you:
Your voice
Your white teeth when you smile
Your eyes when you talk to people
I think you’re graceful and beautiful
I don’t think I’ve ever really told you that.
I know we look alike
But I can’t tell how much
I’m too used to my face
And your face
To compare them.
And every time
I hear
a Rogers & Hammerstein song
I hear you singing along with it
This morning I didn’t think I was thinking of you.
HSapphireH