How can I possibly keep up?

Tonight I made her wash her hands
because her nails were inky.
She shrieked at the lovely tepid water
Why would you hurt your child???
Your OWN CHILD, Mama???
and when I started giggling
she got indignant and asked why and I said
“Ohhh, you know why,”
and she laid her head against my leg and said,
Maybe normally I might know, but it’s bedtime
and my mind is asleep, Mommy.
But then she snapped her head up to add,
But not too asleep for stories.

Better and better

If I could send a call
singing along the phantom lines
of yesterday,
I’d call to tell my earlier self,
‘Don’t worry, darling.
This is the hardest part.
It gets better, I promise.’

I like them red, gold, and romantic

Just like Emily of New Moon,
things press on me until I
‘write them out.’
Whatever do people do
who can’t confide their soul
to their diary?

womankind, big and small

Wild woman,
wistful wishes
willful winds,
winsome wisps,
worry, worship, won’t.
We had them all today.

Setting intentions is so damn embarrassing

The cashier looked at
my load.
Yoga mat,
sports bra,
yoga pants,
two tank tops,
a DVD with loud marketing
and one that proclaimed exercise
is fun when you Dance With The Stars.
I blushed.
At least I hadn’t thrown
a bag of Doritos in there.
The kind woman didn’t say
a thing.

Humble monkey

Today my girl said to me,
with absolutely no malice,
Mommy, you’re really just
not very good at crafts, hunh?
Certainly the flippers for the monkey
were a challenge.

Sachets

Did you know
that a car seat will hold
a lavender plant just as well
as it holds a daughter?
Precious lovely things
all tucked in safe and
soothing.

Photo credit: AJK

The princess and the pea

Nothing would please.
Holes in the tights.
Braids too tight.
We forgot her snack.
But worst of all:
Mommmmm!!!! Listen to me!!!
I’m too dehygerated, I just
CAN’T STAND IT, Mom!
I concentrated on keeping my breathing
slow and steady.
Things were quiet for a minute. Then,
Mom?
What’s dehygerated?

Beauty has its way with me

Some days I feel like I’m failing
at everything.
So then I take a little paper,
and a pair of scissors, and some glue,
and I mess around… just messing…
around… with paper…
until beauty has its way with me.
And I wrest glory out of failure.
Now listen, my dears.
Did you know that I send out a little
rich juicy starry beauty
every month?
If you’re not on the list for that,
you should be…
because I’m sending out some extra
treats this month.

Two years ago today

I started a company.
So I celebrated with a
super-classy vintage bubbly.
My sommelier relatives might
try to die.