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| Pablo Picasso, 1941 |
Mom didn’t trim her artichokes
Though it might have been expected it was a nasty surprise
When a leaf’s spiny tip pricked my finger drawing blood
I learned to be wary
She guided my hand as I held the knife
to cut out the tangle that guarded the heart
With her intent I do it now
After supper I cut a mango to share with my son
“Want to gnaw the pit?” “Nah, no pit”
There was never mango in my mother’s kitchen
A wave of grief takes me by surprise
Then I remember a lifetime ago
I mistook pit for seed and said,
“A man plants a pit in the woman to grow a baby”
My mother laughed, repeating my gaffe a million times
It’s good to remember her laughter
