The Bravest Deed
I'm shopping with Mom
at the supermarket
and we see a woman
yelling at her kid who
looks about three or four.
She grabs the girl's arm
smacks her on the bottom
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
about ten times, hard, then
CRACK! across the girl's face.
The girl is screaming
and the lady gets ready
to smack her again
but all of the sudden Mom
sort of steps between them
and asks: Is
everything okay?
You're having a hard time,
looks like. I remember...
Mom points to me, laughing,
actually calms the lady
down
with that girl still
sniffling
and me standing there
hoping
no one will notice
my trembling hands.
from Relatively Speaking:
Poems About Family