My Mother And What We Remember
Although I'd like to believe otherwise
maybe it all comes down to my mother.
She never said Boy Am I Happy
You Wrote That Poem.
Even my seventh grade poem
about Joanie Mendlestein's first date
with Abe (they eventually married).
Joanie borrowed my mother's
bright blue flats because Abe
was only 5'5 and so was Joanie.
My mother said height matters only
a little. It's not, she said,
of primary concern. Secondary, she
emphasized. We waited up on our porch
for Joanie to come home. Then
she leaned back for him to
kiss her goodnight. My family
quietly clapped.