these rare teen moments
everyone together; joy
minus jobs, school, stress
summer days beckon
drinks on rooftop patios
(mocktails for the kids)
the cold creek calls us
with shade, icy refreshment
from the sun’s harsh heat
and these cousins bond
under summer vacation
(our home is their heart)
i’ve tried hard for grins
as hard as they are to earn
(teen reality)
entrepreneur
winning with her lemonade
even as a teen
three-thirty a.m.
my oldest’s footsteps. good steps.
intentional steps.
this is not a moon.
this is a lunar eclipse.
(Super-Flower-Blood)
and she’ll be gone soon.
(no early-morning steps).
and i. am. eclipsed.
shadows of loss win
the afternoon shines bright.
(we still have our moon)
the best time of year
is strawberry-rhubarb pie
(yes, it's a season)
baked by my daughter
the sweet and sour combo
shines as bright as spring
graduation day
bleeds into normal doldrums
(life's quick, painful truths)
she graduates now
my baby girl, all grown up
in this Red Rock Land
from prom to vaccine
in a short eight-hour night
(let science save us)
there's no heartbreak here
just my girl, eighteen years old,
ready to face them
sneakers underneath
(pandemic proms are outdoors,
under tents, in grass)
she's taller, braver.
in her silver floor-length gown,
she masters the night
and aren't we a crowd?
this master-mix of humans,
standing on these rocks?
unsinkable us
right below the Molly Brown
(ready to swim. Win.)
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