MotherReader

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

— e.e. cummings

I’m headed back to the beach today to pick up the daughter I left behind. No, not accidentally. She wanted to stay and help my mom babysit my niece this week. So now I get a bonus trip to the ocean and an extra seven hours on the highway.

It will be good to have her back home. As we were deciding if she should stay — a rather last-minute proposition — we all realized that she’s our best friend. Seriously. She watches movies with her dad. She plays computer games and just plays with her sister. She and I talk and laugh about all sorts of things. How wonderful to have our best friends in our own family.

Today’s Poetry Friday round-up is over at Jama Rattigan’s pad. Stop by and share some verses.