Mommy, she says, walking up
to me and my son as we gesture
and guess and giggle,
Mommy, she says, I feel
like I want to hurt someone
right now. And she lays down
between my son and me, and
offers me her eyes. I think how
brave she is to identify
a feeling and stare it straight on.
It’s not hard to uncover
she feels left out of the game
and wants to join in. Oh give
me such candor, such willingness
to say what I mean and lay myself
down to rest in the middle of things
with such (one word, five syllables,
fifth syllable sounds like plea)
vulnerability.