A Very Mary Variation
Using line 1 borrowed from Mary Oliver’s “The Invitation”
Windows in Europe
it could mean something
I’d flown to Europe for a weekend teacher conference
somehow my parents met me there –
Dad, who’s living
and Mom, who’s not
oh, but she pays her visits
my dogs showed up,
too, there in Europe
Fitz and Boo Radley
I had to reschedule
my flight to extend my stay – so I couldn’t fly home with her
but Dad asked if I wanted to see some windows
of course I did- there may be a message in them for me
we got on a bus and ended up at the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre, overlooking Paris from a high elevation
I recognized the little café
on the Rue de
(Something in French) across the way – La Cremaillere 1900
where I’d eaten some bland
baked chicken
and potato rounds
in June 2019
we took a walk up some steps to an ice cream shop called Big Sur
where dogs were allowed inside
I wondered if Boo’s poodle heritage had anything to do with it
and sat at a dirty table,
my parents and I
the waitress took my order –
but I didn’t know the flavor lineup so I picked chocolate mousse –
but the waitress kept getting everything switched
actually gave me my mousse
(I took a couple of bites)
and then gave it to my mother
then gave me someone’s bowl of Rice Krispies? they’d started
I tried to take a sip of water but it was someone else’s glass
so the waitress snatched it away from me
and brought a container of milky ice cream water for me
saying that should work for now
and in all this
I watched a girl jump with a parachute from a high cliff
and waited until nearly
hitting the ground
before pulling the string
and landing fine
I never saw any interesting windows to speak of
but I ate every last one of my Rice Krispies and drank the milk
and Mom shook her head and looked at me as if I should make a better choice than to eat like
that
when we left I gave her a bag she’d forgotten
making sure Dad
knew I had recovered it
embarrassing Mom, but letting him know to watch out for her
we got separated at a bus stop,
but the brief visit was nice –
probably a good window
of Melatonin
dreams like these let me know she’s still here
Common Threads 