Family & Relatives
Silver Needle
Each night, all the years we were growing up, she sat in the big yellow rocking chair & pieced together our lives with countless stitches of her silver needle.
Simple Mind
My grandmother used to say life was so much easier when you were simple minded. It’s taken me almost my whole life to understand what she meant.
Short Nose
When I was young, my grandma always used to say it was good I didn’t get my dad’s nose & I thought so, too, but I always wondered if someone somewhere was walking around without a nose because of me.
Side by Side
We sat side by side in the morning light & looked out at the future together.
Silly in Public
I figured out that if I keep it up, someday I’ll probably get wise enough to be silly in public but I probably won’t wait that long.
Shiny Stuff
One Halloween, my sister made a magic wand & she went around giving wishes to all my friends, but when she got glitter on all the candy they yelled at her & she went home crying & later on my mom made me share my candy with her & she was so happy she flung glitter all over & gave me an extra wish I know didn’t work because I still have a sister who loves shiny stuff.
Secret Warning
He ran quickly with a sound like raindrops & left his handwriting in all the secret places. I found this one underneath the big yellow rock in the garden. It said this: watch out for the little black dog. It can smell when you’ve had hot dogs.
Secret Heart
The secret is not in your hand or your eye or your voice, my aunt told me once. The secret is in your heart. Of course, she said, knowing that doesn’t make it any easier.
Scent
When she wore the hat, even many years later, she could always smell her mother’s perfume & it was hard to remember she was supposed to be alone.
Scraps of Magic
These are little scraps of magic & when you paste them together you get a memory of something fine & strong, she said. Sometimes it takes till you’re 40 to see it though.
Right Tool
My dad always told me, the right tool for the right job, but all he ever had around were a few screwdrivers, so he ended up using the telephone a lot.
Roughage
I used to eat popcorn for every meal, she told me once. It made me feel like I was in the movies & my life would turn out happy in the end. Did it work? I said. I don’t know, she said, but I like to think the roughage counts for something.
Run Proud
He taught me to run high on my toes. I will always remember his words: run proud & remember you are alive.
Right Answer
What would it take for world peace? I said. Is there a right answer? he said. No, I said. Oh good, he said. I thought this was going to be one of your love-your-little-brother talks.
Riding Home
You may not remember the time you let me go first. Or the time you dropped back to tell me it wasn’t that far to go. Or the time you waited at the crossroads for me to catch up. You may not remember any of those, but I do & this is what I have to say to you: today, no matter what it takes, we ride home together.
Relative Worries
I’m not worried about ghosts in general, she said. Just the ones that are related to me.
Real Name
I can remember walking down the street, saying my name over & over, until all of a sudden, it didn’t sound like my name anymore. It didn’t even sound like a word at all & then I stopped & the silence rushed in & whispered words that sounded more like my real name & I smiled & thought to myself how surprised my parents would be when they found out what a mistake they had made.
Real Reason
There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other’s cooking & say it was good.
Raspberry Patch
My great-grandmother sent us out to pick raspberries in her garden while she watched the first moon walk on TV. You’ll have plenty of time to see things like that, she said, but those raspberries were carried overland by your great-great-grandfather. She was very wise. I see pictures of the moon walk all the time, but all I have left from him is the memory of those sun-warmed raspberries.
Ready to Jump
getting ready to jump as high as she can just because there’s only so long you can sit politely & listen while people talk about any old stuff that comes into their heads