I Wonder

Does the
man who wanders
the neighborhood, wearing
three heavy overcoats in the
swelter

of the summer, have a
little sister who lies
awake at night wondering where
he is?

This was a beautiful collection of poetry. I was completely engrossed from start to finish. I only have one qualm, and that is the issue of calling mentally ill people crazy. It doesn't sit right with me at all. But that's really it. The entirety of this book was perfectly written and I am so happy this book fell of the shelf in the library one day (true story).

My Sister's Christmas Eve Breakdown

One day
she was my big
sister, so normal and
well-behaved, the next she was a
stranger

rushing out the door to
Midnight Mass, a wild-eyed
Jewish girl wearing only a
nightgown.

One day
he was my dad,
so calm and quiet and
in control, the next he was a
stranger

dragging
my big sister
away from the door, up
the stairs, screaming so loud that my
ears stung.

One day
she was my mom,
so reliable and good in
a crisis, the next she was a
stranger

standing stock still with her
hands clamped over her mouth
and her eyes squeezed shut, not even
breathing.

That day
I sank into
the wall, wondering what
these three people were doing in
my house

and I
shouted that they
had to stop, even though
I wasn't supposed to talk to
strangers.