This Morning

I'm sweet on my long-dead motherwho, when a car had knocked me downbeside the road, hoisted me upand carried me to our back seat,

held me in her lap the whole wayto Doctor Pope's office, and stayedwith me through the long hospitalnight, cooling my forehead with her hand.

Months after my cast had been cutaway and my leg was strong enoughfor me to walk and run again,it was she who noticed a boy

temporarily paralyzedat a crosswalk in Wytheville, shewho knew the answer to the questionothers must have asked themselves—

Why is that boy just standing there?Not always the best of mothers,that day she had it in her to stepup beside me, and as if it were

a joke, smile and take my hand and crossthe street with me. That's all it took.When I got my confidence back,she acted like it'd never been lost.