I remember

when my hair was long,

curly and blond–

I remember crying

at the barber shop,

and I remember chocolates

had made me stop.

And I remember Michigan–

and I remember baking cookies.

And I remember Tennessee–

and a yellow bear birthday cake,

and a gambler’s outfit that you made.

And I remember Louisiana.

And I remember the Big Red Boat.

In Missouri, my bedroom was a jungle,

and you had painted it yourself.

And I remember every road trip–

all across the country.

And I remember being sick with cancer,

and the bedroom you had loaned to me.

And I remember Greece,

and I remember Paris–

It’s been a good life you give to us–

It seems redundant to explain that.

In a house full of men,

outnumbered four-to-one,

you put up with a lot–

hacking, snorting, burping–

noises that you love…

 

Happy Effie’s Day, Effie,

aka mom-stein, aka mom.