A story of Mom and me (and you)

Just a girl in the 40s with expansive thoughts,
wearing pigtails and coke-bottle glasses --
they knew she was different; they even ran tests,
but found no diagnosis to label
a girl with a hunger and singular drive
to unpack the whole human condition.

She did it through books, for she wasn’t content
to just live her one given life.
In search of connection, the characters there
were as real as the ones in the flesh.
And though she did marriage, and children, and jobs,
it was story that held her attention.

She studied religion and pedagogy,
loved to teach, and was gifted at mischief.
On a singular quest to open our eyes
to a truth that lay far beyond reason --
the stories that bind us, from every tribe;
the stories that give our lives meaning.

She was only just starting to unravel bits
of the blind spot that was her own story;
barriers to connection she couldn’t perceive,
which prevented her sharing her wisdom.
So, the torch has been passed, since I carry her genes
for a mind that won’t stop thinking bigger;
first, a dive into self ‘til I’ve learned how to speak --
then the ultimate story we’ll give you.


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