Lessons I learned in childhood
served me well though
the lesson taught
is not the one I took away.
Take for example
the forced intake of food
Poor Richard and
the starving children seated beside me
drooling over my Lima beans
This taught me
to feel guilty for not wanting;
and that sometimes it's easier to do it
than think of the reasons you'd rather not;
a certain stoicism has seen me through
and when they ask
"Are you comfortable?"
I can convincingly say "it's fine"
around a mouth of stringy asparagus
cold Brussels sprouts
Or for example
the allergy shots
the hours spent with ankles
wrapped around chair legs
waiting to see my reaction
This taught me
to sit still for hours;
and that to show a reaction
is the least desirable response;
a blank face to greet the worst news
and when they say
"I don't..." or "I can't..."
I don't even blink, and if there is an inadvertent
tendency to red eyes, puffy skin, the
inability to breathe I'm not letting on.
Comments