Just Friends

Just Friends

She says we can still be

Friends

What does that mean?

Means we only hug.

Only? Does she know the 

Power of a 

Hug? 

Wrapped in a loved one's 

Embrace.

Held close enough to feel

Heartbeats.

Dejected silence 

Fills our house. 

A frozen custard date with

Mom

Isn't the same.

Sugar smiles

Sticky fingers

Finally, a laugh.
Mission accomplished. 

Second Dinner

Second Dinner

8am
Please eat breakfast
Grunt.
I'll settle for a glass of
Water.

12pm
Please eat lunch.
Long suffering sigh.
A sandwich
A peach

4:30pm
Starving!
When's dinner?
Food disappears in
Alarming quantities

8pm
Second dinner
No leftovers
For tomorrow

What a difference
12 hours makes

Break Up

Break Up

We suggested staying
Single
For one month at the 
New school

You rolled your eyes
Had a girlfriend and
Lost her
As your eyes wandered
To others

We like the new one
A reader!
College plans!
Family drama.

Spring turned to
Summer
Camp
Vacation

Skype and phone calls
Scattered plans
Now it's ended

Your appetite vanished
You music volume increased

Thank you
For reminding me
How glad I am
To not be a

Teenager in Love

Trailing Behind

Trailing Behind

5 feet
10
20

Flip flop echoes
I know he's there
He hopes no one else
Notices we're together

It's fine.
I'll just walk faster.
First to the car
Drives home.

Sounds Like

Sounds Like

For 6 years you couldn't hear
You told everyone
But no one helped
3 years of Speech Therapy
Waste of Time

Today, a test
A fitting
A mold
A tube
Connected
Powered on

Light and sound broke over
Your face
Miraculous
Isn't strong enough

Wonderment
Voices murmuring
Heels clacking
HVAC blowing
Birds calling

So this is what hearing
Sounds like

Drain

Drain

The fridge
My bank account
The gas tank
My patience

The hot water heater
My lotion
The milk
My tolerance

May I have a refill?

Gimme/Never Mind

Gimme/Never Mind

Can I have a job?
Can I drive?
I want to work with electronics
I want to play baseball

Applications completed
Permit earned
Camp enrolled
Ball and net set up

Why do I have to call back?
How do we get home?
Why do I have to go to camp?
How come I have to practice every day?

Triumph

Triumph

Toothpaste, sweet gherkins, celery
Orange Soda and gummy worms?
75 cents in change

Hold on a sec,
I need to do some math
Receipt and calculator
Rustling in his room

Here's the other $5.38

Play it cool
Don't over react
Thanks, kid

Errands

Errands

Sent to the grocer
Celery, toothpaste, pickles
Combines exercise, responsibility,
Trust

Will he make it there and back?
Less than a mile away
iPod in his ears
Backpack over his shoulder

He can do this
Right?

The Passenger

The Passenger

Suddenly, the seat belt
Tightens
I check to make sure the airbag
Is on

Right side, left side
front
Rear
blind spot!

The whoosh of my lungs
The double drum of my heart
Locked knees
Clenched jaw

Don't say it
Don't say it
"Can i drive?"

This better count
As my daily 30min
Of exercise.

Teaching Teen to Drive

Teaching Teen to Drive

We arrived alive.
Trying to remind myself
As I unclench my fingers
One by one

The trolley wasn't his fault
Nor was the speedy backer-upper.
The construction zone avoidance
Resulting in random lane merging

Reflects forethought
Right?