Letter to My Mother, 11/20/06

Another poem from class. Actually, it comes from an exercise I invented: Write a frank poem about your parents. It was part of a presentation on Sharon Olds.

Letter to My Mother, 11/20/06

Yesterday
You shouted at me.
Called me a liar and
Told me my essay was crap--
Ruined!--all because
Of one line:
"You'll never get into college,"
You said. "It's amateurish
And contrived. They'll
Never let you in with that."

I shouted back
"It's MY essay, MY application!"
And when dad took my side
(You, turning to scold him)
I ran upstairs to grab my purse,
And return, wallet in hand,
To send in the application--
Not to finish it, but to
Anger you more.
MY card, MY application
And none of your damn business!

Later on you came down with
A perfect cup of tea.
Chai, with milk, and
Two sugar cubes on the side--
You know I drink my tea like
They do in Turkey:
Sugar cube clenched, melting
Crunchysweet between my teeth
And hot liquid scalding my tongue.

I remember your face
At 10 o'clock last morning:
"Things are going to change,"
You said, and introduced
The latest development in the crisis
With grandma and grandpa
Frozenserious like the way
You told us, five years before,
About the spot they'd found
On your latest mammogram.

I took your words emptily
And never shed a tear
Patted the bed beside me. You
Sat down, my arm around you--
We never said a single word