Children & Parenting

Stubborn Love

All those times I wanted to quit,
slip out through the escape hatch
and disappear without a trace.
But you weren’t having it,
no,
you and your stubborn love.

Heart Lines

There are invisible lines
connecting everything together,
and I am particularly fond of
the one that connects me to you.

Wish Children

my kids could draw like this, he said & I said he was lucky they didn’t because I would not wish children like me on my worst enemy & he didn’t have anything more to say to me

Well Behaved

They’re like pets who shed clothes instead of hair, she said, & they talk back & want a lot of stuff. But at least they don’t pee on the carpet anymore, she added.

Walking Big

walking with loud giant steps while he can because he’s already noticed that when you grow up, even if you do keep walking as big as you can, you have to be quiet about it, or other people get headaches

Waiting

I don’t mind waiting for a little while, he said, if I get a treat in the end. What do you think is a treat? I said. Not having to wait too long, he said & I had to give him points for honesty.

Waiting to Stay

Sometimes I can’t wait to leave, but not when my boys are wishing I could stay

Ulterior Motive

What would it take to fly? he said & I said I wasn’t sure, but I knew he’d have to move faster than he did now & he thought about that for a minute & then he looked at me & said you’re trying to teach me something, aren’t you?

Twin Sister

When I was young I told everyone I had a twin sister. One day, after we had been to see the relatives, my mother told me I was too old to play that game any more. So I stopped talking about her & after awhile, she finally went away. But I’m grown up now & I still miss her & I wish she would come back.

Two Wise Men

My great-aunt Clara told us once about the time she was one of the wise men in the church play & when it came to her part she said we’re here bearing frankincense, gold & myrrh, heavy on the frankincense because of that camel smell & after that her father always called it the story of the Two Wise Men & that other guy & we laughed so hard we had to pee.

True Map

There is no one who comes here that does not know this is a true map of the world, with you there in the center, making home for us all.

True Things

They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday.

Treasures

The most important thing you leave behind is the stuff that turns into treasures when children find it.

Too Many Words

Does Santa get to do as much PlayStation as he wants? he said & I said nobody gets to do as much of anything as they want, or the economy would grind to a halt & he looked at me & said, That was a simple yes or no question, Dad.

Too Much Beauty

I have heard too much beauty to ever go back, he said & in that moment, I knew there was no way the children of our world would fail.

Timeout

If you kill your brother, she said, you’re going to get a huge timeout.

Timing

There are moments when I’m completely at peace, but it’s usually before my children wake up & they’ll have none of that.

Three Blind Mice

I tried for a whole summer to teach our cat to play the piano. We started with an easy song. It was 3 Blind Mice. My dad said it didn’t work because the cat had a tin ear, but I think it was because she kept looking around for the blind mice the whole time & never gave it her full attention.

The Wind What Blows

This is the wind what blows, he said, & it lives in a jar in my bed & his eyes were big with the knowing of all that.

The Wonder of It All

Sitting there in your pajamas & all the time in the world & if I could keep any moment it would be this: watching you & holding my breath with the wonder of it all.