Chris Baron, professor of English at San Diego City College and author of All of Me and The Magical Imperfect, hosted my writing group today and inspired us to write A Before Picture verse. My mother left us in December 29, 2015, and today my verse is about her.
before and now
before
we silently sucked our teeth
when she
told us to buckle up
we secretly rolled our eyes
when she
told us to lock our doors
we soundlessly steamed at the ears
when she
told us to slow down
(“they sit right up here, you know”)
and covertly clenched our fists
when she
told us to turn it down
now
we hear her voice
echoing through the years
transcending dimensions
and through our blurry tears
we buckle up
we lock up
we slow it down
we turn it down
and wish
she were here
to right our world again
Common Threads 