16 February 2012
Before you dismiss it
with its failed starts,
confrontation, carpet
stains, and delays,
consider the moment
in the kitchen
when she picked up
her toy off the floor
without being told,
or when she caught
your eye in the rearview
mirror and made you
smile. Easy to forget
after her fit at the store
or her pronounced “NO!”
after lunch
but they did happen
and that makes today
more than a throwaway.
And when you recall
it was she who remembered
to brush her teeth
before bed
you’d be forgiven
for dusting it off
and adding it to the box
where her medals
and drawings
and handmade cards
will also go, the things
that are worth much more
than they look.
Today • Opuss № I